Weight of the World
by Spiritstrike
Summary: Prequel to Little Shotty: Optimus Prime never talked about his past, and no one ever questioned it at all. But, now we finally get a chance to see for ourselves how he came to be in the first place and how he shouldered the world's problems. Pre-Armada.
1. Prologue

**Spiritimus Prime: OMG! This is my first attempt on creating a canon character's history! LOL! I'm so excited and very happy with this, I am! Now, this story is set before Armada even began. Also, this story may have a few connections to Little Shotty, so it's not really a prequel, but it sort of is. I know, the prologue seems a little cruddy, but it is my first attempt with a character's history, so you must understand that I do the best that I can to ensure that you enjoy it. Just a heads up, this story starts off through the canon character's POV, but the rest is completely Third Person. I'm more comfortable in Third Person because you know exactly what you're doing and can get inside the heads of all the characters at one time. Anyway, enough chit-chat, just please enjoy my latest and newest attempt with a story that I have had planned for years on end (in the head that is). Enjoy!**

* * *

Who am I you ask? My name is not important at the moment, but all I can tell you is that my life did not start out sweet and simple, as the humans say. Life would've been a walk in the park if I had not been born as something that I did not wish to be. But, I eventually had to overcome that and walk the path of destiny that I had to take without complaint. I had to learn how to accept the responsibility of leadership and it was something that I had to understand through my experiences.

While life itself was not easy to live by, I had come accept the fact that nothing was ever the same again the moment my hands wrapped around fate. I had never stopped to wonder whether it would be wise or not to write out a document on my life and how I had come to be in the first place. Very few bots know of what had happened long ago before everything now had started.

I have carried the weight of everyone's problems on my shoulders for so long that it has become impossible for me to express myself on any occasions. I smile, but no one can see my facial expressions except through my optics because I wear a mask. I cannot explain such a reason right now, but it will be later on.

It hurts to talk about such things, but I am over the past trauma, but it is there whenever I think about it every now and then. No one questions my past, and I hardly talk about it in front of them. Part of the reason for them is because they always respect my privacy, or maybe they think it's because I have not suffered such a cause. I understand their reason for silence, and I'm sure they understand mine.

However, my reason for most of my stoic expression is beyond anyone's understanding and very few know the reason. Only Red Alert, my brother, Ultra Magnus, and Scavenger know why and have even witnessed the very thing that mentally tore me apart and had locked my Spark up completely behind steel doors that refuse to unlock with the keys being thrown away in the process.

While it hurts to talk about it, I do not ever say why, or even give my reason to even why I hide in my office every now and then. Some say that it's because I'd rather do paperwork and be anti-social, while others think it's because I never find time for myself or for anything else. But the reason runs much deeper than that, much deeper than anyone would've ever guessed in their entire life. Deep down, my Spark cannot help but mourn over the many losses over the many years of experience of leading that has driven me to the point of overstraining myself and collapsing in the end.

Do you wish to know of my experiences over the many years of leadership? Do you wish to know of the harshness I had to endure? Do you even wish to know how I had come to understand my responsibilities that very few had even witnessed? Well, I believe that you have finally got your chance to do so. While I have never talked about my past, and no one asks about it, I have written this file so that you may understand what I had gone through to become the mech that you often see, hear, smell, or even feel about. It is very rare for a leader to write down his life, but when it does happen, everyone pays attention to it carefully.

It is time for you, my reader, to step into the past before the Mini-Con Wars even began, before the whole war even began at all. When I was born, I had been born into a world of peace, a peace that would soon be interrupted entirely and change everyone's lives forever. Choices would be made, sacrifices for the causes of the Universe, and the birth of a leader that could turn the tides of war and end all wars. If that even was a possibility for any of us.

Who am I you ask? My name is Optimus Prime. I am the legend beyond all legends. I am the light that will step forward to bring justice and peace. I am the supposed 'saviour' that everyone speaks of, and I am the one that will end this war once and for all. I am the one thing that will bring unity and wholeness in Primus's name.

This is my story, my beginning, and my destiny. I am the Prime that must embrace his future to ensure that no evil will triumph over this peaceful Universe. The whole cosmos rests on my shoulders and I must embrace that future if I am to become the 'saviour'.

My journey of becoming a Prime… starts right now.

* * *

**Spiritimus Prime: I know that the story was a little short, but that's how prologues are for me. They're short, and they give some explanations for my stories. I hope you enjoyed the prologue and I'll quickly move onto the beginning of the story. It will be up soon, I promise. XD I hope you enjoyed it, and please R&R to let me know what you think. :D**


	2. The Birth of a Saviour

**Spiritimus Prime: Alright, before you read the story, I would like to make a brief description on what the story is really about. Yes, you guys know that it is about Optimus Prime, but you do not know why I would make a prequel to Little Shotty. Do you remember how Optimus had changed completely during the whole incident where Megatron was about to switch Hot Shot's loyalties towards the Autobots and over to the Decepticons (I suggest you read that story to understand my point)? Well, that's kind of why I wanted to make this story. Not only that, but it has other reasons. I have always wanted to make my own historical story based on my favourite character since Day. 1 and I'm sure that no one else has tried such a tact (except Hot Shot's Girl's story, which was about Hot Shot's history told in her way). **

**Also, it had all been based on an AMV I had done on youtube. The song I used was by Saliva and it too shared the same name as my story, Weight of the World. I had done that video as a tribute to my nanna (who had died of a heartattack several years ago) and I also wished to dedicate this beloved story to her. She was a lot like Optimus in character and personality. She had a heart of gold that was filled with compassion and undying wisdom, and she knew exactly how I felt whenever I had my downtimes when I was little girl. (sniffs) So please, people. Understand that this story has many reasons for its coming into being, but the true reason was because of my beloved nanna.**

**May your spirit R.I.P nanna. I miss you so much now.**

**Please enjoy this story.**

* * *

When he was born, he was perfect. He was beautiful in every detail that he could ever be offered. While he did not have his armour on his delicate frame, he was just beautiful without it. But, the beauty was not without fairness. He was delicate, soft, and sharp to every point of his body, making him the most beautiful thing amongst all sparklings.

He saw nothing but complete, utter darkness that offered him comfort in its most desirable places. He felt security, safety, and warmth as he felt arms wrap around his tiny chassis. He knew that he was safe from anything that would cause him physical damage, and he knew that no harm would ever come down to him as long as he was nestled in these safe arms.

From afar, and above, he heard voices that whispered with tenderness and love that he felt within his mind and outside it.

"He's so beautiful," whispered one that didn't make any sense to him.

"Yes," another answered that sounded deep and soft. "He is more than just beautiful."

"What should we call him?" the first voice asked.

The second voice was completely silent for a moment until there was shifting in several places. The sparkling could sense that the second voice was picking something up, but that something was beyond his understanding, however, the baby talk entirely understood.

"He Orion!" the new voice squeaked happily.

"Hush now, Magnus," said the second voice in a steady tone. "Do not shout, otherwise you may frighten your new brother."

The sparkling turned his optics online for the first time and they shined a brilliant gold that caused his creators to blink in surprise. He glanced around at his new world and he felt that it was too bright. In his annoyance, he brought his arms over his face and whined about the brightness.

"Orion scared!" the childish voice squeaked.

"Orion…" the first voice breathed. There was more silence until another pair of optics settled onto the sparkling. "Yes…I think Orion is a perfect name for him. Orion Pax. What do you think, darling?"

Something moved in the far off distance and someone squeaked in an unknown emotion to the sparkling. "He is called Orion, mother and father?" the squeaky voice asked.

The second voice did not answer as the first one waited patiently for it to respond. After a few minutes, the second moved around a little until it stopped a short distance and made a motioning sound, as if it was nodding (unknown to the sparkling). "Orion Pax," it repeated. "I like it. I guess it beats better than naming him after my brother, Maximus."

"You know fully well that Maximus is a Prime's name. You and your brother are both twin Primes, did you not know that?" the first voice ask, its tone rising a little to the point of annoyance.

The second voice emitted a deep sound. "I know, love," it answered and the sparkling felt optics settled onto him. "But he is completely perfect in every way. Yes he looks like Magnus's protoform, but he does not have blue optics like yours, or even his. Having golden optics is extremely rare in my cases, especially when it is in the Prime family."

"But how come your optics are red?" the first voice asked.

Another movement. "I'm not sure, darling, but let us forget about that and move on to our newborn son," the second voice answered.

"Are we bringing new brother home soon?" the squeaky voice asked.

"Yes, Magnus," the first voice answered softly before the sparkling felt something nuzzle against his neck in a comforting manner. He had begun to feel a discomforting feeling in his insides and he knew that it was something not out of the ordinary. "We will be bringing your new brother, Orion Pax, home soon."

"Your mother has been through a lot, my son," said the second voice, the same vibration hitting the air. "We should let her and the sparkling rest up. Tomorrow we'll be coming back to the hospital to pick them up."

A strange sound came from out of nowhere. "Yay!" the squeaky voice cried out. "New brother will be home!"

"Come along now, son," said the second voice. "We must go home now and leave your mother and brother to sleep. The doctors will be coming in soon to give them a check up to ensure that they are healthy."

"Okay, daddy," the squeaky voice answered happily.

The sparkling, Orion Pax, suddenly became aware that a presence was just a foot away from his face. He removed his arms and blinked his golden optics. Everything was still a blur to his new vision, and he appeared to be seeing double or something. He could just make out a blue, silver, and red figure with square shaped blue optics that blinked into his. He could even see that something was holding onto him and he knew that it was one of his creators: his father.

"Say goodbye to your new brother, Magnus," said the second voice.

"Bye, bye, brother Orion," said the squeaky voice, the tiny mech with the square shaped optics. "Be good for mother."

"He will, Magnus," said the first voice. "You do not need to worry at all."

Orion Pax felt his optics getting heavier and he emitted his first yawn before everything became a haze and then darkness took over him entirely.

* * *

Sentinel Prime, the leader of all the Autobots and the one connection to the Council of the Elders, Gravitas, Purus, and Artemis, was the twin brother of Maximus Prime, who also ruled the Autobots alongside him. They did everything together, always ensuring that peace ruled their home planet, Cybertron, a metallic world that was the world of the Transformers that inhabited it, and that nothing out of the ordinary came into being that would threaten the universe itself.

While it was Sentinel Prime who spoke before the Council of the Elders, it was Maximus Prime who kept most of the order alive and well, certifying that peace would continue to rule their home planet for as long as possible. Maximus was the eldest of the two. Whilst he held the Matrix of Leadership, both he and Sentinel were the first Primes to ever share it together as one whole.

It was rare to have two Primes at the same time, but it was a grand thing for the Council, making things a lot easier for them to run the order without any hassle. As far as anyone was concerned, none of them had ever fought over the Matrix, and that was fine. The main objective was to keep Cybertron as peaceful as they could.

Sentinel Prime stepped before the Council of the Elders with Maximus Prime by his side. They had been called before the three wisest Transformers for reasons beyond their understanding, and it seemed wise that the both of them should come at once without any questioning. This puzzled Sentinel since they had called him three days after the Council had seen his new son, Orion Pax, who had been born from his beautiful bondmate, Sanctus, but he knew better than to question their reasons for calling him and his brother.

"Council of the Elders," a silver and blue bulky guard bot, Iceblast, began as Sentinel and Maximus stood behind him. "The twin Primes, Sentinel and Maximus are here for the discussion that you wish to speak of concerning the birth of Sentinel Prime's son, Orion Pax."

_I knew it,_ Sentinel Prime thought bitterly as his hands clenched into fists. _It always has something to do with my family._

One of the elders, Gravitas, stepped forward, Purus and Artemis following, and glanced down at the two brothers before his firm gaze settled onto Iceblast. "Thank you, Iceblast, for escorting them into the chamber," he said politely. "You are dismissed."

Iceblast bowed before he walked out the chamber, the doors closing behind him with a loud bang that rang across the room like echoes through a deep, and silent, cave.

The moment the echoes died down, Gravitas returned his optics to the twin brothers. No words were exchanged for a moment. Both Sentinel and Maximus were used to the silence from the elders and they knew that it was a test of patience. They had been through this so many times that they had lost count.

"_How many times must we go through with the silent treatment?"_ Maximus asked Sentinel through their brotherly twin link.

Due to their strong bond of never leaving each other's side and looking out for each other, the brothers had formed a mental link between each other. While they were not connected like bondmates were through the Spark, they were directly linked towards their minds and feelings that all twins commonly shared. They would know what the other was feeling, what they were thinking, and being able to feel each other's pain. This was truly something that only bondmates could ever experience, but there was a strong price to pay with twins.

According to the scientists, if one of the twins was lost in an accident or in a battle, the other would go through a serious amount of side-effects that would think that he or she would be insane to the whole world. While the effects do not last long, the effects can lead to an unexplainable amount of emotions that end in death or suicide for the other twin to be reunited with his or her brother or sister. And, truth be told, twins were important to each other's survival and they depended on each other for many things that no one could ever understand.

Sentinel mentally chuckled. _"I have lost count, Maximus,"_ he replied. _"But you know the reasons for this. They are testing our patience to ensure that we are still capable leaders."_

Maximus frowned. _"They should know better that we have proven on numerous occasions that we are still the leaders of this planet, despite their positions."_ He then snorted through the link, earning another chuckle from his brother. _"Besides, what does this have to do with my new nephew?"_

Sentinel shrugged. He had no clue as to why the Elders had called him and his brother, but it seemed like they were about to get their answer soon enough.

Gravitas finally spoke in a calm demeanour that caused the two to shut off their link, but they had their feelings wide open so that they could offer each other comfort in the best way that they could. "Sentinel and Maximus Prime," the elder began, "you have been called here to discuss about your son and nephew, Orion Pax. We have seen him and have matched him to the spoken prophecy that will change the tide of an incoming war."

Sentinel Prime blinked his red optics. A spoken prophecy Gravitas had said? This just didn't make any sense at all! He shook his head, denying the words. "That is impossible!" he cried. "How can my son ever be the supposed 'saviour' that is in the legend?"

Purus moved up beside Gravitas on his right, his visored face looking into Sentinel's own optics that sent him into silence. "You know that it is the prophecy that was written in the Covenant of Primus," he said, his voice cold and stern. "A son of the Prime family shall rise to fulfil his destiny and stop the upcoming war that is preparing to be brought upon our world. He will be born different with unbelievable powers that reside within him that will surface when the time is needed. His name shall bear the name of greatness that will ring through the wind, speaking of a coming legend that all will look up to someday."

Sentinel frowned. "Despite all that talk about my son, he does not bear the name of greatness!" he cried. He could feel his own frustration and rage reaching boiling point and he just wanted to scream at the Council. How dare they say that his son will be forced to do what they wanted and fulfil some foolish legend? He did not believe such nonsense, and he doubted he ever would.

Maximus gently placed a hand upon his brother's shoulder, feeling his negative emotions. _"It's okay, brother,"_ he said softly over their link. _"You don't have to believe anything if you don't want to."_

Sentinel shook his head and he glanced over at his brother. _"But the legend speaks as if the whole universe will be resting upon his shoulders,"_ he said sadly._ "I don't think he'll accept such a task when he's older. Just what can I do to prevent such a thing coming into being?"_

The eldest twin of the Prime Brothers, emitted a deep sigh. _"I do not know an answer to such a question, brother,"_ he answered softly. _"You know that the Covenant of Primus is never wrong. It was created by the Creator Himself and very few believe that the words are true. Some believe that they are just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo."_

Sentinel chuckled before he returned his attention to Gravitas. "If you are expecting some kind of 'saviour' from The Covenant of Primus from my family," he said, "then how does it prove that my son is truly the one? It could be Magnus or the twin sons of my brother, Maximus."

Gravitas shook his proud head. "No," he answered simply. "Your son, Orion Pax, fits the prophecy in every way. When we saw him, we saw perfection in his frame and fineness that even I did not believe that the prophecy was correct. I went back and read it twice, suddenly realising that he was the 'one' that will save us from salvation at the time of need. Your son bears a powerful name. A name that is much more powerful than Magnus's name or Maximus's twin sons."

Sentinel just wasn't sure what to believe. The Covenant of Primus, or just his mind? He sighed deeply, knowing that a lot of things were going to be expected from his youngest son, and he really did not want to leave Magnus out of such things. Magnus was a bright youngling, and he had proved time and time again that he had the capabilities to be a good leader.

But what about his other son, Orion Pax? What promises would he have in the future? Would he lead the life of a Prime like his father and brother, or would he choose his own path to live?

Whatever destiny had in store for his son, Sentinel Prime knew that he could never deny the words of Primus. Such things were out of his beliefs, and just thinking about the legend made his Energon boil to many degrees higher than his normal temperature. But he also knew that this would anger the Council of the Elders if he did not accept this thing, and the world and the universe may go into chaos if this supposed 'saviour' did not make his stand to light their darkest hour.

Sentinel sighed when he felt Maximus offer him comfort. _"It's alright, brother,"_ he whispered gently. _"Whatever happens with your son, I promise you that I will be there to support him, and even my sons will help him. However, I am concerned about what Magnus would think if his brother was the one who was supposed to take the Matrix of Leadership and not him."_

The blue and red bot sighed softly. _"I thank you for your hospitality, my brother,"_ he said as a small smile crossed his lips. _"I am not sure what Magnus will think when he learns about Orion being the one instead of him. He has always wanted to lead, and he has just started his second year at youngling school. He tries so hard to please me."_

"_He will have to give up that dream and move over to something else,"_ said Maximus gently.

"_I guess you're right. I will talk to him later on. But what will Sanctus think?"_

"_That's for you to know, and for me to find out."_

Sentinel chewed his bottom lip beneath his yellow mask and sighed deeply as he lowered his head a little, thinking this over extremely carefully. Finally, after musing for several minutes, he had come to his decision. "When do you wish to see Orion when it is time to pass down the Matrix of Leadership to him?" he asked.

Sentinel wasn't sure or not, but he could've sworn that he had seen Gravitas's silver mask pull into a smile of gratefulness. "Only the Matrix will decide the right time for him," he answered.

"But we must prepare him for that day by putting him through special schools so that he may have the qualifications to become the leader that everyone expects him to be," Artemis said, speaking for the first time since the meeting had begun.

Gravitas nodded in agreement before his golden optics softened when he saw the distressed look in Sentinel's red optics. "I know that you do not want to apply pressure to your son, but as Artemis said, we must have him ready when the Matrix decides to make him Prime."

"I understand, sir," said Sentinel, bowing his head. "I will make sure that he becomes a fine leader in order to fulfil the prophecy that The Covenant of Primus has spoken of."

The three elders then nodded in unison, the meeting now over. "You are dismissed Prime Brothers," he said simply, his voice returning to its familiar firmness. "Iceblast will escort you out of the chamber."

Both Primes bowed in respect as the bulky mech entered and escorted them to the exit of the building. The only thing that was on the Prime Brothers' minds was the unsureness in this spoken legend, but they knew that they could never question their Creator's words of wisdom. Such things were never spoken of in front of the Elders, and they doubted anyone would live to regret it.

* * *

When Sentinel Prime returned to the Prime Mansion, a huge building that had been built for the Prime family, he was greeted by an excited Magnus, who came running out to him to give him a hug and a slobbery kiss.

"Daddy home!" the youngling squeaked in giddiness.

Sentinel chuckled and he nuzzled his 6,000yr old son, who had just become a youngling, with his yellow face plate, his fatherly love towards him shining brightly in his red optics. "Yes," he agreed, "daddy is home for the rest of the day."

"Hello, darling," a warm, feminine voice greeted from afar.

Sentinel turned and saw a blue and purple femme with lovely curves and delicate features all over her graceful body. He admired his beautiful femme, Sanctus, who was holding onto their two week old son, Orion Pax, with tender and love. Her frame glowed in his optics as he bathed in her beauty that had captured his Spark the moment he had first laid optics upon her grace and fineness that reminded him of the rare midnights that happened once a year on Cybertron.

These midnights were extremely rare and, when they happened, they made their stars glow with beautiful colours of red, blue, silver, green, and purple that showed a promising future for Cybertron.

Sentinel approached his bondmate and his yellow face plate retracted, revealing red lips, and he kissed her in a passionate manner. Magnus rolled his blue optics in annoyance, obviously not enjoying this gross moment between his creators.

When their lips parted, Sanctus frowned slightly when she sensed Sentinel's unhappiness. "Darling, what's wrong?" she asked.

Sentinel sighed and he told Sanctus what the Elders had told him. He explained about the prophecy that they had spoken of from The Covenant of Primus and about their newborn son, Orion Pax, being the supposed 'saviour' the Elders told him about and about how he had accepted the fact, despite his disbelief towards it. When he had finished, he waited for a reaction from his bondmate. He tried to feel for anything through their bond, but the only thing he sensed was slight sadness and hostility.

"Why must it be our youngest son?" Sanctus asked. Her tone carried nothing but anger and fury, but Sentinel could tell that she was doing her best to conceal it.

Sentinel shook his head and embraced his bondmate. His red optics settled onto Orion and then Magnus. Both of them were watching out of curiosity and he knew that they did not understand what was going on and why their mother was so upset. "I truly am sorry, my love," he whispered to Sanctus. "But you must understand that Orion may be the best hope that we've got against this unknown force that we are still striving to understand."

Sanctus removed herself from Sentinel's arms and set herself down on a chair with Orion Pax placed on her left knee. She appeared to be gazing into his golden optics, but Sentinel could see that she was staring into thin air. He approached her and sat on the opposite side of her, placing Magnus on the floor with his toys.

"Just what can we do, Sentinel?" Sanctus finally asked after several minutes of silence. The only sound that was heard was the toys that Magnus was playing with.

Sentinel lifted a hand and gently placed it on his mate's thigh, rubbing it gently with a thumb. "I wish I knew, my love," he whispered softly. "But we know that we can never ignore the prophecies that Primus speaks of in his Covenant. Even the Elders know this. All we can do is follow what they say until the time for Orion to step up as Prime is decided by the Matrix."

Sanctus sighed and she leaned forward, wrapping her left arm around Sentinel before she kissed him on the cheek. "Alright," she said as some of the hostility left her tone. "We'll do what they want until that time comes."

Sentinel smiled. He knew that, deep down, it would be hard for him and Sanctus when Orion Pax would begin to start taking those steps towards his destiny and fulfil the legend of the 'saviour' that had been in The Covenant of Primus since the very beginning of Cybertron. But, more importantly, it would be even harder for Magnus to accept the fact that he would never become a Prime until Orion died in the process or unless something happened to him during his time of growing up.

Somehow, Sentinel Prime felt that Magnus may do more than get upset about Orion becoming the next Prime instead of him. But jealousy would be overcome with time. Instead, hostility would be exchanged instead, and Orion's life may get a lot harder than it already was.

* * *

**Spiritimus Prime: Yeah I know, there's a lot of drama, I forgot to mention of other genres at the beginning, but it's okay. Suspence and Angst are mainly involved, but there is Drama, Action, Adventure (some, but not much), Hurt, Comfort, Romance, Mystety, some Sci-Fi, as well as Spiritual things concering the Transformers culture and all that kind of stuff. So anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I must go and pay my love to my nanna for being the one to mostly encourage me to read and write since I was very little. (sighs softly) Until then, please R&R and let me know what you think, or if you want to ask any questions about my nanna, then please do not be afraid to ask what is in your heart. We can never ignore such facts in life when something pulls at our heads. :)**


	3. Families and Friends

**Spiritimus Prime: Wow, ten reviews in such a short amount of time its been here? Oh, guys, you're the best! I love you so much! Kudos to you all! Sorry if this chapter is full of drama again, but I guess it's all sticks and stones and no bones about it. Somehow, I just had to add in a few G1 characters in the scene just to make things a little more interesting. Don't worry, more familiar Armada characters will appear soon, but probably not until the chapter after the next one. Until then, enjoy!**

* * *

Sanctus sighed deeply as she watched her young son, Orion Pax, played with his toys while Magnus was sitting on Sentinel Prime's lap. All three were watching the young mech with desired interest. None of them were taking their optics off of him for even a moment; it was far too adorable to admire a new family that was now part of their lives.

It had been only two weeks since the Council of the Elders had declared the foretold prophecy in The Covenant of Primus, making the Prime Families very nervous and wondering if it was all true about Orion being the supposed 'saviour' that was going to save them from salvation. And, during those two weeks, the Prime Brothers had been getting deeply unsettled by the whole ordeal, even their sons and mates were worried.

Were they having doubts about the legend that Primus told them about? There was nothing they could do to prevent such things, even if they could travel back in time and try to stop themselves from bringing in their new son into this world of peace.

Sentinel was expecting some company to arrive soon, along with his brother and his family, so Sanctus had cleaned up the Prime Mansion to ensure that the guests would be comfortable, rather than just become intimidated by the rich home that belonged to the Primes, but their guests had known them for a very long time since their birth, to their rising of becoming the first Prime Brothers that had ever existed.

"They should be arriving soon," said Sentinel from out of the blue, "I just hope they get here in time before Orion's bottle is given to him."

Sanctus just smiled as she picked Orion up and placed him on her lap. "They'll come when they come, love," she said as she petted Orion on the head, using her fingers to stroke an ear fin and causing the sparkling to giggle unthinkably. "They always keep track of time. You know how your brother works."

Sentinel chuckled as he pressed a finger against Magnus's back plates, causing his elder son to laugh. "I know, dear," he said softly, "I'm just worried about the future for us, and that we may not be able to live to see when Orion steps up to be the next Prime instead of Magnus here."

"We will, my Sentinel," said Sanctus, "I guess we'll see soon enough."

Sentinel couldn't help but shake his head in amusement. His mate sure had her ways with making him feel better, perhaps a little better than his older brother, Maximus Prime.

Despite them being related and having everything that a Prime could want, they lived in different Prime Mansions that were far apart from each other. Sentinel's was on the north of Iacon, while Maximus's was in the south, which made seeing each other a little harder, and even made time to see one another less to come by. The only times they ever saw each other was when the Council called them to talk about things, and even discuss about things that never really made any sense at all.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"That must be them," said Sentinel as he stood up and placed Magnus on his hip, "Maximus always arrives on time." He then proceeded to the door while Sanctus picked up Orion Pax to hide him from the guests eyes just to surprise them.

* * *

When Sentinel opened the door, he was greeted by a violet, blue, and yellow flamed mech with silver optics, yellow pipes on the side of his head, and a yellow face plate. Next to the mech was a navy blue and white femme with green optics, who was holding onto two little mechs that were both red and yellow, and had flames coated on their arms and legs.

Sentinel Prime took a step forward and hugged the mech in greeting, which the mech gladly returned. "It's good to see you again, Maximus, my brother," he said as he released the mech and placed a hand upon his shoulder, squeezing it affectionately.

"You too, my brother, Sentinel," replied Maximus as he mirrored the gesture that Sentinel did. "I take it that all is well since the meeting with the Council?"

Sentinel nodded. "Yes," he answered, but then he frowned faintly. "Although a lot things are beginning to get harder with the Council for the past two weeks. They've been quiet lately, and I'm worried that something could happen, or maybe they're still looking into The Covenant of Primus."

"It's a possibility, Sentinel. But we can't be too sure until they let us know on their own terms," said Maximus. His silver optics then darted over to Magnus. "How's my favourite nephew? I haven't seen you in a while since your little brother's birth." He then motioned to Sentinel, and his brother handed his elder son to his elder brother.

As soon as Magnus was in Maximus's arms, the youngling looked into his uncle's optics and blinked. He had not seen his uncle in quite a long time since his brother's birth, but he knew that Maximus had been very busy lately, along with his father. He giggled and wrapped his arms around Maximus's neck, surprising the elder Prime. "Missed you, Uncle Max," he said happily as he gave him a big slobbery kiss on the face plate.

Maximus chuckled at how Magnus called him by his old name. _Sentinel must've told him about the old days when we were still sparklings before… we became Primes,_ he thought to himself. "I missed you too, Magnus," he said out loud, and he nuzzled his nephew with his face plate.

"Well, aren't you going to come in?" Sentinel asked as he stepped aside, "I'm very anxious for you to meet Orion."

Maximus chuckled as he glanced over his shoulder towards his mate and they walked inside with their two younglings, who were a thousand years older than Magnus, trailing behind them. Sentinel closed the door behind him and he followed after his brother and his sister in law.

When they arrived in the lounge room, Sanctus was still sitting at the couch with Orion on her lap. He was busy sucking on his thumb, while Sentinel's mate was watching him with her proud optics. She lightly tickled him in the sides, releasing a giggle from him, and she glanced up at their guests.

"It seems like you were right about your brother, Sentinel," she said and winked an optic.

"You know I always am," Sentinel laughed before he turned his attention to his brother. "Why don't you sit down for a while until our other guests arrive? We can't introduce our son yet until everyone is all here."

Maximus smiled. "Alright," he said and he turned to his mate, who was still holding onto the twin mechs. "You can let the boys go now, Astraea, Magnus will play with them."

Astraea, the red and gold femme with blue optics, nodded. "Of course, Max," she answered, and she released her hands from her two sons, and they raced over to Magnus, who'd been set onto the floor by his uncle.

The elder bots and Orion watched as the one with the silver optics gently tackled Magnus. "I pinned ya, Maggie!" he laughed happily.

"Get off, Blaze!" Magnus growled as he gently pushed off his cousin. "You rough!"

"Yes," said Maximus as he nodded in agreement and turned to Sentinel, "he is quite a rough one. Blazefire is the adventurous and loudmouthed one, while Spitfire." He nodded towards the other young mech, who was just quietly watching the scene. "He's just a quiet youngling. He goes where Blazefire goes or anyone else he trusts. I think he's more of a follower than a leader."

Astraea and Sanctus looked towards each other worriedly. "Is that a bad thing, Max?" Sanctus asked.

Maximus shook his head. "No, it's not." He closed his silvery white optics for a brief moment until he opened them again and settled his attention back onto his children. "Spitfire is a bit like Sentinel back when we were younger. I was the headstrong type, while Sentinel was just a nerd." He burst out laughing, not caring if he got a glare from his twin brother.

"So what?" Sentinel demanded.

"Relax, little brother," said Maximus when he regained his breath, "I was only kidding about you being a nerd."

Sentinel mockingly looked away, earning laughter from his family. His optics then darted towards the door when he heard footsteps approaching. He and Maximus stood up together and walked towards the door once more. They stopped and waited, listening for a knock or two.

After a couple of seconds, there was a knock. Sentinel opened the door to reveal four mechs standing before them. "Ah, it's good to see you guys again," he said as he smiled warmly. "Care to come in?"

The eldest of the mechs nodded and walked in, stopping in front of Maximus to address him before they saluted. "It's an honour to see you again, Maximus Prime, sir," said a green and grey mech with a white face and he held out a hand towards the blue and violet mech.

Maximus took the hand in his and shook it. "You too, Scavenger, my old friend," he greeted. "It's wonderful to see you too."

Scavenger, the eldest of the four bots, nodded and he looked towards Astraea and her two sons. "Ma'am, Blazefire, and Spitfire, you are well I take it?" he asked.

Blazefire was shoved off of Magnus by Spitfire and they looked up at their mother, and then back at their father's friend. "Yes, Grandpa Scavenger," they replied in unison, "we are."

Scavenger chuckled, knowing that the two only called him their grandpa because of him adopting Maximus Prime and Sentinel Prime when they were just younglings after their creators had died for an unknown reason. He smiled and his golden optics shifted over to Sanctus, Magnus, and the newcomer. He then approached Sanctus and gently took her hand in his before bowing his head. "It's an honour to finally meet the bondmate of Sentinel Prime," he said. "The pleasure is all mine."

"No," said Sanctus when Scavenger lowered her hand, "the pleasure is actually mine. Sentinel has told me so much about you. I hear you were quite the mercenary back in those days, hunting down criminals before you joined up with the Autobots."

Scavenger nodded silently and he returned to stand beside the other three mechs.

"Well," said Sentinel, "now that everyone is here, I was hoping to introduce the new addition to this family of ours. Old friends and family," he gently picked up Orion Pax and cradled him in his arms, "I'd like you to meet my newest son, Orion Pax."

Everyone blinked their optics and they awed at the sight of the red, blue, and silver sparkling. They had never seen such a beautiful little one in their entire life. His soft royal red frame gleamed in the light of the room, but it was those little golden twin sun flares that caught their attention. Those golden optics were much more beautiful than they'd ever seen, perhaps brighter than Scavenger's.

"He's beautiful," Maximus breathed. Even though he had entered his brother's home, his attention had all been focused on his sparklings, brother, and mate. Now that he could finally get a chance to see this amazing miracle that the Elders had spoken of, he understood that Orion would one day bear a powerful name when he would become a Prime in the future. "So he's the 'saviour' the Elders were talking about?" He glanced up at Sentinel, who had his arms folded across his chest and had his optics dim for a moment.

"The 'saviour'?" one of the mechs, a bulky red and silver one who had not been introduced, asked. "You mean this little one could be the Chosen One that The Covenant of Primus had spoken of?"

Sentinel turned his optics back online and looked up at his old friends. "Has the Council ever been wrong?" he asked.

The mech shook his head. "I never doubted the Council before," he said. "I'm just a little worried about the pressure of being a Prime bearing down upon the kid. To do that, you would need excellent leadership skills, and that's something Magnus seems to have."

"It's not the skills that count," said Scavenger, getting everyone's attention, "its how you do it. Skills do not matter, only the hardships of learning can help one understand the true meaning of leadership."

"Scavenger's at it again," mumbled a black and white mech to the one who had just spoken.

"I don't blame him," replied the first mech, "he is only trying to give us a word of advice."

"Sentinel," whispered Sanctus as she approached her mate, "are you going to introduce the mechs you trust with your life?"

The youngest Prime Brother blushed with embarrassment. "Right, my bad," he said and he approached the four mechs who had lined up so that Orion could meet them face to face. "Orion, I'd like you to meet these four mechs that I have known since my sparklinghood. I hope that they will serve you well when the time comes for you to step up as our leader in the future."

Orion Pax blinked his golden optics, glancing at each of the mechs that stood before him and his father. He'd never seen such amazing things before. Yes, his father had told him stories about them, but he didn't know who they were. The stories of his uncle, his adopted grandfather, and the other three great warriors seemed to be true, but the only way to find out was to listen for their names.

Sentinel motioned to the mech who had spoken first, the bulky red and silver one. "This is Ironhide," he said. "He is mine and Maximus's body guards, who protects the Primes. As head of security, he ensures our safety and that everyone follows our orders when we're out and about."

Orion didn't understand most of the words that were being spoken to him from his father, but he understood the name that he would remember in the future. He looked up at his father and nodded when he heard the name 'Ironhide'. He liked him, despite his gruff tone. He knew that he was just hiding a soft spot anyway.

His father then moved on to the black and white mech. "This here is Prowl. He is our Vice Commander and answers to us alone. Not even the Council have full authority over him. He is free to do whatever he likes, but he is a loyal warrior, and is quite the logical mech. When you want to know something, he'll help you out when things get tough for you."

"What's crackin' lil' kid? I'm just in for the grovin' here t'night," said a silver and blue mech with a blue visor covering his optics.

His voice startled Orion, and he darted backwards, hiding his head beneath his father's protective arms.

"Oh sorry, little one," said the mech, "O'l Jazz didn't mean to scare ya at all."

Orion peeked out from Sentinel's arms, his golden optics blinking in the light. His father reassured him, telling him that there was nothing to worry about and that the mech was just being friendly, it was his way of saying hello. He took a better look at the mech, and he could see that he had tilted his head down, his blue visor twinkling in a friendly manner. So Orion tilted his head upwards to get a better look at him.

"Are ya not scared of me, kid?" the mech asked as he flashed a friendly grin, his teeth making a glint.

Orion giggled at the funny moment, not understanding his reason for doing so.

"Son, this is Jazz," began Sentinel. "He is the Head of Operations amongst the Autobots. He is well known to have a positive attitude, and this is what makes him one of our best warriors in times of need. According to the supposed tales, he has a habit of turning the saddest faces into the happiest ones on the face of Cybertron."

Once again, Orion was struck by the way how Jazz moved in such gracefulness with fluid like movements. He liked him better than he liked Prowl or Ironhide. Jazz seemed to know when to crack the best jokes, so it appeared to him that he was not as frightening as he was thought to be.

Without warning, Orion yawned tiredly.

Sanctus approached Sentinel and her son, her green optics soft with motherly love. "Seems like someone is tired," she said gently.

Maximus chuckled at his exhausted nephew. "I don't blame him. He's probably had an exhausting day, and I'm sure that we're all tired too." His red optics shifted his twin sons and he felt his jaw hit the ground. "Well I'll be darned by Primus."

Lying on the floor beside Astraea's feet, Magnus, Spitfire, and Blazefire were curled up side by side fast asleep beside her feet. Everyone could not help but aw at the sight. It was so cute, that they thought it would be funny to leave them where they were, but Maximus had to disagree.

"Sorry guys," he said, "but my sons need a good deal of recharge in order to get ready for their second solar cycle of youngling school."

Sentinel nodded in agreement. "Even Magnus needs his rest," he said. "He too needs to gear up for youngling school as well. It's the beginning of his second solar cycle there, and I wouldn't want to miss it for the world."

"You heard the Primes, kids," said Ironhide, snapping everyone out of their daze. "They must get their rest if they are to be ready for anything in the future."

"Agreed," Scavenger answered.

Gently, Maximus Prime picked up Spitfire while Astraea picked up Blazefire. Sentinel led the four mechs and his brother's family back to the door. He opened it, and they filed out one at a time, congratulating him and his mate.

But as Maximus prepared to step out the door, he turned back to his brother, his face was stern and Sentinel knew that it was never a good idea to ignore the serious tone that was about to be spoken through his voice. "You take care, little brother," he whispered gently as he placed a hand upon his brother's shoulder with Sentinel repeating the gesture like always. "I have a feeling that something could happen someday. I cannot explain it, but I think it has something to do with Orion Pax."

"Are you saying that Orion could bring trouble in the future?" Sentinel asked in a whisper.

Maximus shook his head. "No, Sentinel," he said softly. "I'm talking about protecting Orion with your very life. It's like I said, something could happen in his future. But, again, I cannot explain it."

"You think the Matrix has something to do with it?" Sentinel asked worriedly.

"I don't know," Maximus replied and Sentinel sensed the hidden worry in his voice. "Whatever it is, we must be ready at all costs."

Sentinel turned his optics offline for a moment again, thinking about it carefully before he nodded once more. "I think I understand," he said.

"You may not at first, Sentinel, but you will in due time." The Prime Brothers then hugged once more and then Maximus departed once again back to his home in the south with his family.

As he closed the door, Sentinel felt silence creeping into his mind, and he knew that what Maximus said could be true. He never understood things at once, but it normally took him only a few days to work it out. However, that did not mean he wasn't stupid. Yes, he was wise, but Maximus was a little more experienced with the Matrix and understood it quicker than he could. Of course, Sentinel could as well, but he still needed time to adjust to things.

"Sentinel," Sanctus called from within the house, "it's time to sleep, darling."

The youngest of the Prime Brothers sighed softly. "Alright, love, I'm coming," he answered. He then closed the door behind him, but as he did so, he found himself thinking all over again about Orion's future. Was he having doubts in the Council of the Elders? No, he wasn't, it was just himself being mentally doubtful about his leadership skills.

Sentinel chuckled to himself silently. No, there was probably nothing to worry about at all. Maybe that prophecy would never come to pass, and perhaps this whole 'saviour' business was all a big mistake. Only one way to find out, and that was to wait until the time came.

* * *

**Spiritimus Prime: Yeah, all talk and no action. Sorry guys that I'm just dragging drama into this, but how else am I going to explain things on what's going on, ect, ect? What does it matter, you probably hate it anyway. What good is a story anyway when all I do is talk? (sigh) If you don't like this, it's fine. You don't have to comment if you don't want to. I'm not forcing you or anything like that. The choice is yours. If you like it so much, then feel free to R&R, but until the next chapter, stay tuned. I'm off to watch Zoids: Guardian Force on Youtube. XD**


	4. Good Morning Sunshine

**Spiritimus Prime: **I am so sorry I have been gone for so long, but my Word Document is being an asshole and requires a lot of reintallation because everything has become unavailable. It's still under serious attention, but I'm doing my best to try and get it working again. By Friday this week, I should have the next chapter to Guardian Angel up. I cannot promise anything because of my new job and a life that is just coming around the bend, but I will promise you one thing though: I will finish these stories I'm working on!

Now go an enjoy this cute little chapter I had in mind for Sentinel and Sanctus.

**

* * *

**

Several weeks after the events of the introduction to Sentinel's most trusted Autobot warriors and his brother's family, Sentinel found himself becoming busier by the day. The coming of his newborn son had brought Transformers from all over Iacon City in the hopes of seeing the promised 'Saviour' from the Covenant of Primus and the eldest Prime was finding it difficult to control them and push them back to prevent his family from feeling so crowded. Unfortunately, some of them stayed at the front of the Prime Mansion and made a lot of racket. This made it impossible for Orion, Magnus, and their creators to even get a decent recharge and Sentinel always found himself tired whenever he arrived at his work.

Now, he was beginning to fall behind on his reports and the Council was starting to get annoyed. If they didn't see any improvement by next week, then they would be happy to strip Sentinel of his rank and give it to Maximus instead. Sentinel did not want to lose the very thing he and twin brother shared, but the final word always was the Elders'.

Finally, Sanctus had had enough.

"That's it," Sentinel's beloved bondmate growled as she got up from the recharge berth she and Sentinel shared, "I've had enough of this. You should send them away, Sentinel. This has been going on for five weeks now and both Magnus and Orion aren't getting enough sleep. Neither are you, and the Council is wondering why you are falling behind on your work when Maximus is starting to go above you."

Sentinel could only emit a groan of exhaustion and agreement. "I agree, love," he said sombrely, "but I really don't have the Spark to do that. Some of them are homeless and have nowhere else to go. They are hoping to see Orion because of the spoken prophecy, but none of them have seen him yet and they will not leave until they do. You haven't even been to Ratchet's yet to get a check-up since last time. Come to think of it, when was the last time you saw him?"

The femme regarded her mate and growled in a low tone that caused him to jerk back a bit. She may be considered to be his mate and knew her better than he knew himself, but there were times when she could be unpredictable and often snapped at Sentinel whenever she got the chance to try.

"Last time was five weeks ago," she snapped coldly as she walked out the room.

As quick as lightning, Sentinel was up on his feet and he bolted out the room in a desperate attempt to stop Sanctus from doing something horrible. He knew she really wouldn't do something like that, but knowing that she was tired and grumpy, anything could possibly happen all at once.

He finally caught up with her before she could open up the front door. The lights were not on, so everything was all quiet for the both of us. Much to Sentinel's surprise, she tried to get her arm out of his gentle grip, but his hold of her became a little tighter as she fought to get away. Her growls deepened as she turned to glare up at the mech that was her bondmate. The glares were like ice and Sentinel felt a pang of fear pulsing through his Spark. Was it his or was it her fear he was feeling through the bond that they shared?

"Sentinel, let go of me," she growled dangerously.

The Prime shook his head slowly as he gently pulled Sanctus towards his chest, embracing her as warmly as he could. He even rested his head on top of her forehead as he cupped her head and rubbed the back of it as slowly as he could, trying to be as reassuring as he possibly could, hoping to calm her down a bit so that she could listen.

Much to Sentinel's surprise, Sanctus did manage to calm down enough to let the feeling of fear subside. The only thing that Sentinel could feel was annoyance and slight embarrassment for being so upset over nothing. It was no surprise that she was still annoyed, but at least she was calm enough to hear him out.

"If I show them Orion tomorrow morning and ask them to promise us to leave us in peace, will you promise to go get a check up from Ratchet?"

Sanctus blinked her optics in confusion at his request. She was caught completely off guard by it and she wasn't hoping that he would ask such a favour. If she agreed to it, then maybe the homeless mechs and femmes would leave them in peace for the time being. However, that didn't mean that they would keep their promise. If they didn't keep their promise, then neither would she.

"Alright, Sentinel," she finally said in defeat. "But if they don't leave, then you know what will happen."

Sentinel nodded his appreciation as he thought over something else carefully. If Sanctus actually agreed with this, then he doubted it would ever happen again. There were times when he rarely got what he wanted, but he hoped that Sanctus was in the mood to hear him out about it.

"Can I also ask a small favour?" he asked as he leaned forward until his lips were just inches away from her face. As he looked deeply into her optics, he sensed her Spark flutter in excitement as he leaned forward. She probably sensed his thoughts on what he had in mind. "Would it be alright if I brought Orion to work tomorrow? I'm sure it would be an excellent idea if he is to learn to become a Prime and get to know what I and Maximus do all day."

"Well..." Sanctus looked a little unsure. Was it a good idea to start teaching Orion so soon about everything? If so, he may grow up to be a bit of a handful who will struggle to learn everything all at once. "I don't know, I'll have to think about it. It just seems a bit too soon just to be teaching him about becoming a Prime. If we do that, then he won't have a sparklinghood left in him. Would you want that for our little Orion Pax?"

Sentinel shook his head, but his smile still remained on his face, as if he knew that she'll change her mind in a matter of seconds. "No," he said, "but it will only be for the day. I just want to take him out. He hasn't been able to see the world since he got home from the hospital. Magnus has been a little busy with youngling school, so Orion hasn't had anyone to play with him. Surely he's lonely while you rest up and I'm at work."

"I always ask Astraea to come by to visit," Sanctus replied.

The Prime only shook his head in disbelief. He knew his femme was lying about Astraea coming over. His sister-in-law was always up in Iacon helping Maximus with his work in order to move things along. He had known so because Maximus knew he could never keep any secrets from his brother. Still, why couldn't Sanctus see that it was only for the day? Maybe once a week wouldn't hurt as well?

"Come on, love?" he cooed as he nuzzled his nose into her neck gently. "Just once a week and I promise to never bother you about it again. If you don't agree, then I won't do you that favour I promised you."

"Alright, Sentinel," Sanctus finally agreed, "you can take Orion to work tomorrow. But promise me that you'll look after him. If what the Covenant of Primus said was true, then its best that we be careful on what we do with our son."

Sentinel beamed and he happily kissed his bondmate firmly on the lips in gratitude. "Thank you, love," he said gratefully, "you won't regret it at all."

"Just remember your promise," Sanctus reminded him.

"Of course not," Sentinel replied as he gently took her hand and began to lead her back to their room and back into bed. "Now, we should get some sleep while we can. I'm sure that we'll all need our strength for tomorrow."

Sanctus nodded in agreement as she felt Sentinel's warm love drifting through their bond. She embraced it lovingly and kissed him on the lips, sending a small wave of electricity through it. However, he was forced to let go of her because they soon realised they had arrived at their recharge berth. Sentinel watched as Sanctus climbed in. He covered her up with the covers and climbed in right behind her.

"Let's just hope that Orion will be well-behaved tomorrow, eh?" she sniggered.

Sentinel couldn't help but lift an optic ridge in puzzlement. Truth be told, he hadn't thought about what Orion may pull while he was with his father. However, if he was lucky, Orion may behave and earn his father a couple of good reputation points. Then again maybe not. Anything was possible and Maximus may try to blackmail him with the idea.

"_Max,"_ Sentinel called through their brotherly link, _"are you awake or are you asleep?"_

At first Sentinel got no response from his brother. He had hoped that he was still asleep and didn't have to worry about anything. Unfortunately, the answer came a lot quicker than he had predicted, but the last time he had done this was only during an emergency. This wasn't an emergency for the poor Prime Brothers.

"_Yeah,"_ Maximus groaned in response,_ "I am now thanks to your disturbance. This had better be important for your sake..."_

Sentinel laughed through their link and shook his head as he snuggled up against Sanctus to offer her his bodily warmth. He felt her move and turn towards his chest, burying her face into his protoform. _"It's half important, unfortunately for you,"_ he replied.

"_What do you mean?"_ Maximus asked. _"If it's not so important, why are you contacting me? We made a deal that we would only do this if it is an emergency. If this isn't, then I'm going back to sleep."_

"_I am bringing Orion Pax to work tomorrow,"_ Sentinel replied. _"That is why I should let you know."_

"_Oh great," _Maximus grumbled. _"Sparklingsitting duty anyone?"_

Sentinel ignored his brother's mocking attitude. He decided to cut straight to the point before Maximus got really bored and fell asleep right before he could say anything. It had happened before, only the other way around, and it hadn't been very pretty with the reaction from Maximus he had gotten. Still, best to do what you thought was right.

"_I thought it would be a good idea to show him of what I can do and plus give Sanctus a break. We haven't been recharging very well because of our guests that are hanging around the front of the Prime Mansion. I made her deal and I'm going to keep my end of the bargain if she promised to keep hers. Go see Ratchet and that is that."_

"_Typical,"_ Maximus sighed._ "Always sealing deals with your femme. I only make deals with Astraea when it really calls for it. This is not one of them."_

"_Should I blackmail you then?"_

"_You wouldn't?!"_

"_I can and I will."_ Sentinel couldn't help but smirk at the look of horror that was on Maximus' face. He didn't see it really; he actually sensed it with his sense of touch. _"Don't make me say it."_

"_Alright, fine, brother. He can come, but I am not sparklingsitting for you."_

"_Thank you."_

Maximus was quick to disconnect from their link. This made it a sheer sign that their discussion was over for the time being until further notice. Sentinel was glad that he had warned his brother, otherwise he may have a fit about having sparkling at work when they should be with their mothers getting proper care, not learning already.

_Let's just hope that things will go well tomorrow,_ Sentinel thought as he settled down beside Sanctus and cradled her precious form closer to his own in the hopes of keeping her warm and taking his mind off of the discussion he had just had with his brother. He just hoped that nothing would go terribly wrong.

* * *

When Sentinel opened his optics the next morning, he discovered that Sanctus was not lying beside him like she normally was. It was always him that woke up early to give her a quick good morning kiss before checking up on the little ones and then leaving for the rest of the day. He knew it annoyed Sanctus a little bit, but he did warn her about the consequences when a femme bonded to a Prime. Everything was promising, but a little too promising sometimes.

Slowly, Sentinel stood up and stretched his muscle cables to regain the loss of conscious he had lost in them. Shaking his head and yawning a bit, he rubbed his optics and headed towards the shower that was next door to his and Sanctus' room. The shower was not up in the room just to keep the young ones from waking up, but to also allow the two to spend their quality time together alone. It happened, but not often enough.

He turned on the water and he felt the cool substance gently wash away all the exhaustion and thoughts he had experienced last night. He knew he shouldn't be worrying a lot, but he couldn't help himself. He even actually failed to remove some of his armour to allow some of the liquid to sink into his frame.

"How long have you been in there for?"

Sentinel yelped in surprise as he whirled towards the intruder to prepare to defend himself. But, much to his shock, there was no need for such hastiness. He took a deep breath when he saw Sanctus standing in the middle of the bathroom and tried to relax his overheated systems.

"Did I scare you?" Sanctus asked softly as she approached her mate and gently cradled his head in one of her hands, pulling him towards her and looking into his bright gold optics. "If I did, then I apologise for sneaking up on you. You were so deep in thought. What were you thinking about?"

Sentinel couldn't help but muster up a shrug. "Lots of things," he admitted. "Some are just random stuff; others are just thoughts of the future."

"You're still worried about that?" Sanctus lifted an optic ridge as she tilted her head to one side. "Come on, Sentinel, don't let those thoughts drag you off your job. You have to focus on what's really important here."

Sentinel sighed and nodded as he turned the water off. He did want to start getting _comfortable_ with Sanctus, but there were other matters to attend to now. He glanced around as he stepped out of the shower, lifting an optic ridge a bit before looking at Sanctus. "Where is he?" he asked.

"Orion's downstairs eating his breakfast," Sanctus answered. "I already have yours ready."

Smiling, Sentinel took a step forward and embraced his beloved, kissing her deeply like he did last night, but he was forced to let go and he led her back downstairs where their excited newborn son was happily playing with his food. He appeared to be very content and enjoying his little game a lot.

"Good morning, my little hunter," Sentinel greeted as he approached Orion and kissed him on the forehead. "How are you this morning?" He was then greeted by a giggle and a small kiss from the sparkling on his cheek. Sentinel couldn't help but smile at his son. Yes, he would make a fine Prime one day when the time came for him to step up and embrace his destiny. He just hoped that he would one day be able to see it for himself.

Sentinel's attention was soon diverted when he spotted his firstborn son, Magnus, watching from afar. The blue and white mech almost had an unreadable face, as if he was thinking about all the attention that his little brother was getting and not him. It was as if he appeared to be jealous and a little bit forgotten by his creators.

"You're up a little early, Magnus," Sentinel said to Magnus. "Are you excited about going back to youngling school?"

Magnus didn't reply right away, as if he was trying to decide on how he was going to answer the question or maybe he was too caught up in his thoughts to even notice what his father was saying to him. Still, he was a little annoyed that Orion Pax was getting more attention than he was. There was something about the way he was getting treated by their father and mother that reminded Magnus about the way he had been treated before Orion came into the family.

_Is Paxie the new future Prime now?_ Magnus thought to himself. He didn't understand what was going, but the attention that his little brother was getting nearly proved his thoughts directly. However, he decided to keep it to himself for the time being. _I'll find out eventually._

When Sentinel saw that he wasn't going to get a response from his firstborn son, he decided that he too would have his breakfast and then he would settle himself with discussing to Maximus about what they should do while Orion Pax was at work with them. He had a feeling the little tyke would enjoy his day with his uncle and father, he hadn't seen him much during the past few weeks because of work and paying attention to what was going on around Iacon and dealing with the Council.

"_You're up a little late, brother,"_ Maximus' voice called through their link. Sentinel sensed his brother's irritation, but kept his comments to himself. Maximus could be a pain in the aft sometimes and it drove him nuts a little.

"_I actually blame Sanctus for getting up first and not bothering to wake me up,"_ Sentinel replied a little coldly as he ate his breakfast. _"She thought it would be funny to have a change of routine since I'm taking Orion to work today. I'm not impressed, but I'm amused."_

Maximus didn't respond right away and Sentinel knew that he was in deep thought about their discussion from last night. Both brothers always took their time when it came to responding to one another. One must be careful when it came to replies, otherwise offence may lead to arguing. Still, Sentinel couldn't help but smile in amusement at the sudden silence from his brother.

"_What are you going to do about the mechs and femmes sitting outside your home?"_ Maximus finally asked. _"You know they cannot stay on your grounds forever. I know that they want to see the promised 'Saviour', but why make a big deal out of it when we think that Orion is not the Chosen One? Surely the Covenant of Primus is wrong and that fussing over an ordinary sparkling is going to get us nowhere."_

"_I'm going to show them Orion and then be on my way,"_ Sentinel replied. _"If they want to see my son, then that is what I shall do. I do not have the Spark to send them off with nothing to hope for."_

"_You and your stupid deals with your femme, Femme Magnet,"_ Maximus grumbled, but Sentinel sensed the humour in his brother's tone. He knew when he was joking and when he wasn't. _"Just make sure you don't drop Orion when they crowd you. It will be quite a handful for you and the kid. I also don't want anything to happen to my nephew. You hear me, brother?"_

And before Sentinel can even reply, Maximus had already closed off the link. However, he could still sense his brother's feelings and he knew that he was both annoyed and irritated about something. As far as he knew, it was not just him that Maximus was negative towards. He may be having a discussion with someone and was getting annoyed as the time went by.

Shaking his head as he finished off his breakfast, Sentinel watched as Sanctus walked in and seated herself in front of Orion to help him finish off his food. He couldn't help but admire his prized femme. To him, she was his pride and joy, and the reason for his living. Without her, he would've been a miserable mech and would have no one but Maximus to keep him online and from driving himself insane.

'_Is there something the matter?'_ Sanctus asked over their bond, catching Sentinel completely off guard. _'You seem a bit tense and just about to get up and go.'_

Sentinel smiled warmly towards his bondmate as he stood up, approached her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. He gave it a reassuring squeeze and then kissed her on the cheek, ignoring Magnus' screwed up face of disgust, as well as his comment about them being 'yucky'.

'_I'm fine, Sanctus,'_ Sentinel replied to his love. _'I just had a quick discussion with Maximus. He's a bit busy, but he doesn't sound pleased with where the discussion between himself and someone else is going. He wants to get out and go to work as soon as possible. He feels like slag at the moment.'_

'_He'll get over it,'_ Sanctus replied reassuringly. _'You know how your brother works.'_

The Prime kissed his beloved gently and decided to watch as Sanctus fed Orion the rest of his breakfast. He couldn't wait to show off his son to the other Autobots that had not seen his son since he had shown Ironhide, Jazz, Prowl, Scavenger, and Maximus. That night had been very special, but today was going to be even better than several weeks ago was.

By the time Sanctus had finished feeding Orion Pax his bottle of Energon, she burped him and then handed him over to Sentinel before giving him a bag of his belongings that the father would need should the time come. However, Sentinel doubted he would be changing his son's waste chamber any time soon. He commented on this, but Sanctus shook her head.

"Don't count on it and try to get away with the idea," she said. "I didn't say yes for nothing. You've changed his waste chamber before, so you should know better than to make any excuses." She then poked Sentinel in the chest cavity. "And if I find out that our son comes down with a system upset, consider yourself unfit to be a father. Are we clear, Sentinel Prime?"

Sentinel's shoulders sagged mockingly. "Yes ma'am," he said dully.

"Good," said Sanctus as she nodded and motioned towards the door. "Now go and clear off the homeless by showing them the promised 'Saviour'. I've got to take Magnus to youngling school in a cycle."

Orion gave a few warbles that sounded like he was saying goodbye to his mother, knowing that he was going out with his father for the day. He then waved a hand towards Sanctus and tugged at Sentinel's left earfin, causing his father to gasp in surprise because of how sensitive they were towards touch. Orion giggled again and tried to make another grab for it, but his father stopped him dead in his tracks. He didn't understand what he said, but the firm tone and the gentle grip from his father's hand on his tiny one caused him to instantly stop. Somehow, he didn't think that spending the day with his father wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Come along, Orion, my son," said Sentinel. "Let's go out and see your uncle up at the Autobot base. I'm sure he may have brought the twins along to see you as well." He knew that he had generally unsettled his son with his firm voice and with his grip on Orion's hand to prevent him from touching his earfin, but he had to teach the sparkling that there was the right way and the wrong way. However, he was a gentle father, and he had no intention of upsetting his youngest son at all. "Tell you what, Orion, how about I will get you something on the way home from work. How does that sound to you?"

Orion's golden optics brightened happily at the mention of his father's promise. So his father wasn't angry with him anymore. That meant he was ok and that he wasn't in trouble anymore. He leaned forward and gave his massive father a big slobbery kiss on the nose, his clicks and squeaks of appreciation echoing his father's audio receptors.

"However," said Sentinel, his tone serious, "you must promise me to be on your best behaviour. This little something I intend to get you must be earned, not taken to fit your own accords."

Still not understanding a word his father was saying, Orion just nuzzled his father. This was good enough for Sentinel to know that Orion promised he would do his best. He couldn't expect anything else from his beautiful son. He had a wonderful family and a beautiful wife to care for, as well as the people of Cybertron that he had sworn to protect with his very life.

Waving goodbye to Sanctus and Magnus, Sentinel turned and walked out the room. He closed the door behind him and he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw some of the homeless mechs and femmes lifting their heads and gazing at the small form that was cradled in his arms like a precious cargo.

Sentinel watched carefully as they approached and crowded around him to get a better look at Orion. They cooed and gently rubbed his cheeks with their fingers. They all took it in turns asking the Prime questions about how old he was, when he would be ready to become their Prime, and wondering if the Covenant of Primus was right or not. Sentinel answered as honestly and as truthfully as he could. He didn't want to lie to them and try to bring their hopes up too high or if he even wanted to share his doubts about the foretold prophecy.

When they were done seeing Orion, who had admired the attention he just got from the unusual visitors, they backed away and Sentinel decided that it was time to hold his end of the bargain he had made with Sanctus. _I'm going to regret this,_ he thought to himself. "Now that you have seen my newborn son," he said out loud so that they could hear him, "I would like you to leave. We know you require things, but it is becoming too much for all of us. We are not getting enough sleep nor are we working as hard as we normally do. I'll speak to the Council of the Elders to see if they can help you. By a few days, I should have news for you. Please return to where you had come from until then."

The homeless mechs and femmes turned to each other and then whispered amongst themselves for a moment. Finally, a red and yellow mech stepped forward and eyed Sentinel carefully, as if he was trying to decide on whether or not he was telling the truth and that they should believe him or if it was a trick.

Finally, he stepped back, whispered to the mechs and femmes, and then glanced over at Sentinel, his blue optics were soft but they were as cold as stone. "Very well, Sentinel Prime," he said. "If what you said is true, then we shall be back within that time period. By then, we expect a positive answer."

Without further ordeal, the mechs and femmes turned to leave, their dented and scratched bodies brushing against one another, but neither of them complained about their personal space being invaded by the other nor did they say a word to express their emotions. It was as if the sighting of Orion had given them hope for their futures.

Sentinel shook his head once again and he gazed down at Orion, who glanced up at him curiously. "I suppose we should get going then, huh?" he asked, but he seemed to be talking more to himself than to his son.

Orion shrugged and began to suck this thumb. The trek to the middle of Iacon wasn't far, but he knew that he was going to have one very interesting day. He just hoped that there was going to be other sparklings to play with so that he wouldn't have to listen all day or watch and observe at the same time.

Only one way to find out, and that was to see the Autobot base for himself.

* * *

**Spiritimus Prime:** Coming up next, Orion gets to spend a day with his daddy at the Autobot Base. What's going to happen? What kind of mischief will our favourite sparkling cause? Only one way to find out, and that is to stay tuned. XD I really hope you're enjoy this because I know I am. The next chapter is actually going to be a two-parter. So brace yourselves for an impact when I return. :O


	5. Too Far Perhaps?

_Note to self, _Sentinel thought to himself as he walked down the quiet street with Orion being carried in his arms. _Always remember to transform before you set off with a sparkling._ He'd obviously forgotten about that rule, but that had been a problem because Sanctus was not there when he had sent the homeless back to where they had come from after he had shown off Orion Pax to them. Now the red and yellow Twin Prime was stuck with carrying his son to work.

Sentinel realized that some mechs and femmes were staring at him as he walked past, probably because he was holding his special son; the one who had been prophesied in the Covenant of Primus. It seemed like his son was going to become popular in a matter of time. How popular, he wasn't sure. Sentinel could only hope that Orion would not make enemies as he was growing up, but he highly doubted that the child would not stray far from the foretold future that Primus Himself hoped for the future of his people.

The buildings, as Sentinel drew closer towards his destination, began to stretch higher and higher, and the crowds were getting larger and larger, making Orion warble in curiosity. Sentinel saw that his optics were wide with wonder at his surroundings and the way the mechs and femmes were staring at him. Did he sense their happiness, their curiosity of him, or their wonder at the strange sparkling that was nestled in their Prime's arms? It was anyone's guess.

The golden buildings stretched higher and higher until they almost appeared to be touching the clouds. Sentinel laughed at Orion as he tried to reach for one of the buildings. It was adorable and he sometimes wondered if he'd done the same thing when his father had introduced him to the lineage of the Primes.

It seemed like a life time ago since that terrible day when his father had lost his own life in a tragedy that left everyone broken and devastated about the loss of, what they believed, their true Chosen One, but Sentinel had not been present when the accident had happened. He even didn't even blame his second oldest friend for that fateful moment. Why should he? The passing of the Matrix had happened so fast and he had been forced to grow up alongside his brother.

Maximus Prime, his twin brother, his last remaining kin.

Maximus was a good mech and always did what he always thought was right. Most of the decisions rode on Sentinel's shoulders because the Matrix had been meant for him. But, instead, it chose both of them because it would not stand aside and let them fight over its power, even though they got along like true siblings should. How a real family is meant to be.

"Hey!" someone snapped, returning Sentinel's thoughts back to reality as he accidentally bumped into a small femme. "Watch where you're going, pal!"

The red and yellow mech bowed his head humbly towards the femme. "My apologies, ma'am," he said softly, his optics dimming to a respectful light. "I did not see you for I was on my way to the Autobot military."

"Well be more careful, you overgrown lugnut!" the femme hissed, ignoring Sentinel's gentle tone. Without another word, she turned on him and marched away. Sentinel could see that her temper was flaring like a supernova, so he wisely said no more.

Sentinel had hardly realised that he had arrived at the Autobot base until a familiar voice greeted him from in front of him. He turned around to see Maximus standing at the front of the building with his arms folded across his chest and a bored look on his face plate. He'd obviously covered up his face for the day so that he would not be expressing much of his emotions, but Sentinel sensed his irritation at his lateness, he even sensed a lecture about to come up from behind that mask of his.

"You're late," Maximus grumbled impatiently as he walked up to his brother to greet him more properly. "What were you doing this time? Taking Orion to the toy shop?"

"No," Sentinel answered honestly. "I just ran into someone by accident."

"Ah," Maximus replied. "You met the flaring-tempered femme, didn't you?"

"How did-" Sentinel began, but Maximus interrupted him.

"I met her too as well," he answered. "Apparently she was one of the interviewees that wanted to join our cause, but she was declined the job. It was given to a young mech named Mirage. Because of that, she stormed out the military and bumped into me. I greeted her like I normally would with any femme, but she just shrugged me off like a stubborn youngling and marched off. I asked Ironhide what had happened and he explained to me the story of the femme."

"And what is the femme's name?" Sentinel asked.

"Ironhide didn't give me her name," Maximus answered. "He just told me she's someone to avoid for a while. I wouldn't even want to mess with her anyway. She's worse than Astraea."

Now Sentinel was interested. "What do you mean, brother?" he asked. "You never told me that you sometimes fight with your life-partner."

The blue and purple mech frowned; his main facial expressions hidden by his mask. However, his optics were not hidden from plain view at all. Sentinel wondered if he had crossed the line with his brother's privacy. He sensed Maximus' irritation change into annoyance, so he once again closed his mouth. "Sorry," he apologized.

Maximus' annoyance switched to a knowing look. "I understand your concern," he said softly. "But whatever is happening at our home is between me and Astraea. She's just getting… nippy, you could say." He then turned to Orion, who was snuggled in his father's arms. "And how is my little nephew doing today? Is he ready to see everybody?"

Sentinel gently shook Orion awake and the sparkling yawned. When he saw Maximus, he gave a squeal of delight and struggled in his father's arms, his hands reaching for his favourite uncle. Maximus instantly got the message and gently lifted Orion into his arms, cradling him like he was a precious cargo like Sentinel did back at his Prime Mansion.

Orion giggled as Maximus nuzzled his chest with his face plate. Maximus laughed too and he couldn't help but admire his beautiful nephew. "He looks so much like him," he said to Sentinel, snapping the yellow and red mech out of his thoughts.

"Yes," Sentinel agreed, "he sure does."

Maximus looked up and his optics pierced into Sentinel's like sharp daggers of glass. Sentinel could only guess what he was going to ask. "Can I carry him to our office?" Maximus asked.

"Of course you may," Sentinel replied as he nodded his approval.

"It's appreciated." Turning around and placing Orion over his right shoulder, Maximus walked inside the building with Sentinel quickly catching up and walking by his brother's side, his optics firmly set on his brother. He didn't mean to feel so protective of his son, but, in order to keep their future alive, he needed to keep Orion alive.

* * *

"Hey, Sentinel and Maximus," greeted a mech named Fastlane from behind his desk as Sentinel and Maximus walked towards the elevator after checking in at the check-out. "It's good to see you guys again."

"Greetings to you too, Fastlane," Sentinel replied back as he bowed his head politely. "How has work been for you the last few days?" He hadn't seen the young mech in a little while since Orion's birth. Fastlane was a busy mech. He had two jobs. He raced as a drift racer and worked here at the Autobot military. Mostly the drift racing was for his own entertainment when he had no work to do, but at least it still earned him credit as well as a reputation as the fastest drifter in Iacon.

Fastlane smiled at Sentinel. "Oh you know," he laughed, "living up to my name by continuing to do drifting in the fast lane. Work here has been a bit slack. I suppose the Autobot High Council of Elders are still discussing about your new son's birth."

"Well that's different," Maximus said from the sideline.

"It doesn't matter," said Fastlane as he smiled. "At least I can still do what I love to do and still earn credit at the same time. I think my life is as interesting as it's going to get for me. I'm not a warrior like you guys, but at least I'm doing my part. It's better than nothing."

"Spoken like a true Autobot," Sentinel said kindly as he nodded respectively at Fastlane. "I will speak to the Elders later on today to find out what is going on. Maximus will take over while I'm gone."

"Oh sure," Maximus hissed sarcastically, "leave me to do the dirty work for you."

The yellow and red mech turned to look at his brother, a stern look in his optics that showed he meant business. "Would you rather face the Elders and get bombarded with questions you don't know how to answer?" he asked as his tone lowered to show his seriousness.

Maximus shook his head. "No, but I still don't want to do your work."

Somebody cleared their throat and the Prime Brothers turned their heads to see the one mech they hadn't seen in several weeks before Orion's birth. "Sorry to bother you two," said the mech, "but when was the last time you two had a little fight?"

"Kup!" Sentinel exclaimed in excitement. He stepped forward and embraced the green mech, not too hard because he was smaller than him, but still strong enough for Kup to hug him back in a brotherly manner. "I haven't seen you since… well… since ever. Where have you been and what have you been up to?"

"Long story, lad," Kup replied. "Been through slag and many things you couldn't possibly imagine."

"I'm sure we have time to listen," said Sentinel as he gave Kup a friendly slap on the back. "Besides, you have yet to meet the bringer of hope and joy." He then motioned towards Maximus, who was too busy playing with Orion and chucking him in the air. Orion was giggling in joy at the height and Sentinel had to once again laugh at his sparkling's happiness.

Kup stared at Orion in shock. "Is that… is that what it looks like?" he asked. He staggered a little at the sight of Orion, but Sentinel caught him with ease and helped him back onto his feet before kindly showing his old friend the tiny sparkling, who was now pulling on Maximus' sensitive earfins. This caused the blue and purple mech to cry out in pain and Sentinel instantly went to his brother's aid to stop Orion from pulling at his uncle's earfin. Sentinel understood how sensitive they were and he knew that Maximus was in a lot of pain.

"Orion," Sentinel growled as he grabbed Orion's hand a little fiercely, "you do not grab Uncle Max's earfins, just like you're not supposed to grab mine. Now apologise to him or I'll be angry."

Orion was shocked that his father had grabbed him by the hand and the sudden change in his tone of voice. He blinked his bright, golden optics; his lips beginning to quiver and pout as he stared at his father. Tears welled up into his optics and he began to whimper in fear.

"Now you've gone and done it this time, Sent," Maximus groaned.

Suddenly, Sentinel felt a huge wave of guilt forming at the pit of his consumer tank at the sight of his beloved son. Normally he didn't feel like this towards Magnus because he was too busy to care, hence why he allowed Sanctus to discipline him as he grew up.

Now, as soon as he saw Orion crying, everything changed for Sentinel. "Oh, Orion," he cooed softly, his tone switching from deep and foreboding to soft and kind. "I didn't mean to snap at you, it's just that you have to learn how to behave. Your mother isn't here to tell you what to do and you've become my responsibility for the day." He placed a hand on Orion's head and stroked it gently with his massive fingers, trying to soother his frightened sparkling. "Shh, my sweetspark, everything's going to be alright now."

Orion shivered under his father's touch and he buried his head into Maximus' chest, making it clear that he didn't want to be soothed by his own father at the moment. Sentinel understood and he pulled away, the guilt still weighing heavily on his Spark.

Kup had seen everything. He placed a hand upon Sentinel's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Let 'im have his time away from ya, lad," he said sternly, but not unkindly. "It would be better for him anyway."

"As you wish, Kup, my old friend," Sentinel replied sombrely. He then turned to Maximus. "Do you have time to look after him?"

Maximus shook his head. "Sorry, brother," he answered truthfully. "I have other matters to attend to, like visiting the Training Arena to check up on Ironhide's progress with some of the new younglings that just arrived today."

"I can take 'im if ya want, lad," Kup spoke up, causing the Prime Brothers to turn and stare at him in surprise. "Now don't look so surprised, lads. I've been sparklingsitting youse two since the day he died on that fateful day. Can't say how much I miss him and still feel guilty about it at the same time, but I can say he was a great warrior and everyone loved him for what he did for everybody."

"Are you sure you can handle him, Kup?" Sentinel asked. "He's quite a handful."

"Handle 'im?" Kup questioned. "Why I'll have 'im begging to see me again by the end of the day."

"Well..." Sentinel started. He thought about it carefully. To tell himself the truth, he wanted Orion to get used to everybody that was present in the Autobot base, including meeting the rest of his high-ranking officers. But he remembered that Sanctus didn't want his sparklinghood to be taken away from him so soon. If he learned too quickly, then he would become a workaholic, and that was worse than being paranoid about everything.

_Worse than Red Alert, _he thought. "Alright, you can have him until the end of the day. Why don't you entertain him with your fascinating stories that you liked to tell me and Maximus?"

"Of course, Sentinel," Kup replied. "You can count on it that he'll be asleep in my arms, knowing these young whippersnappers," he glanced at Maximus, "unlike some of those that I know all too well."

Sentinel could've sworn that Maximus' entire faceplate was turning as red as his own. Maximus glared at him and Sentinel heard his promising words that promised him death. _"Don't even think about laughing at me, _brother_,"_ he growled. _"Or else you're going to regret it."_

Sentinel smiled, but he said nothing to answer his brother's chosen words of death. "Hand Orion over to Kup, Max," he said. "I'm sure he's eager to get away from me for a little while."

"I'm sure he is," Maximus and Kup said at the same time. Maximus walked over to Kup and carefully handed Orion Pax over to the old mech. Kup took him without a moment's hesitation and gently placed him over his left shoulder to offer him comfort from the nearly terrifying experience with his father.

Sentinel was worried he may have upset his son's trust, but Kup, who sensed his self-doubt, smiled reassuringly at him. "Buck up, lad," he said kindly. "He'll want to know about you when he feels happier. Trust me on this, alright? Just give him some space for the time being."

Sentinel felt a little bit better, but he still felt the pang of guilt in the middle of his Spark and consumer tank. He watched sadly as Kup turned around to walk back into his office that was just across from the elevator. _"He's only on the bottom floor,"_ Sentinel said to Maximus over their brotherly link, _"but I'm all the way up the top in my office with you."_

Maximus glanced worriedly at his brother. He tried to be sympathetic about Sentinel's sense of guilt, but he knew that he was going to have to learn how to forgive himself for what he had done. Maximus mentally prayed to Primus Himself that no damage had been too badly done to his little nephew.

* * *

**Spiritimus Prime:** My humblist apologies for being gone for so long. Life is great when you move out of your house and into a new one for the first time. Yes, it's scary business, but life hasn't all been that great. So, now that I'm back studying in TAFE again, my updates are going to be a little slow. I know how all impatient you are, especially with the number of favourites and alerts I've been getting lately with hardly any reason whatsoever, but at least this little baby lets you know that I'm still alive and well. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I was up all night trying to work this out and I'm sure you're all happy to see me too. Till the next chapter, stay tuned!


	6. Story of a Grandfather

"_Don't fret, brother,"_ Maximus said to Sentinel reassuringly as the Prime Brothers walked into their offices. _"Kup will take good care of Orion while you and I are doing our duties. You know just as well as I do that things will work out in the end. It just takes a little bit of time, that's all."_

Sentinel glanced over at his brother, his optics shining with slight amusement and sadness. _"You never give up, do you?"_ he said softly. He was in no mood for any conversation that involved his son, but knew better than to not heed his brother's advice. _"Sometimes I just wish I wasn't born a Prime, and then we wouldn't have to go through slag every single day!"_

Suddenly Sentinel found himself roughly pinned to the wall by a formidable amount of force. He blinked only once to come face to face with an angry Maximus. His optics flashed with fury and his hand made a grab for his brother's throat. He managed to get a grip, but it was not powerful enough to make Sentinel choke or do damage to cause any hurt. He became aware that they were being watched nervously by some of their peers, but he ignored the looks of surprise. The only thing that he could focus on was the look of annoyance in Maximus' optics.

"_Don't you dare speak like that, Sentinel,"_ Maximus hissed acidly. _"If you even think about not wanting to be a Prime again, then consider yourself one of my punching bags. Even if you voiced your concerns to the Elders, then what would they think of you? They would look down upon you in disgust and ask: 'Who does this Prime think he is when he should be thinking about others before himself?'_

"_This is not a very good excuse, Sentinel! Think about the prophecy that has to be fulfilled in the future when the time comes. I know you think I'm being selfish about the prophecy, but I'm not. I'm thinking about for the good of those I love dearly, including my sons and my love."_

Sentinel felt Maximus release his grip on his neck and he rubbed it to get some circulation back into it. He lowered his head in shame and sighed. He didn't mean to think so selfishly, but there were times when he couldn't help it. If Maximus hadn't been here to snap his thoughts back into reality, then he would've continued to disappoint the Elders.

The other Autobots, who had been watching the intense scene, returned to their duties, quite confident that the matter had been resolved.

"I'm sorry, brother," he said quietly. "I shouldn't have done that. Perhaps it would be best if we don't make a mention about this to the Elders."

Maximus nodded. "It's alright," he said. "As long as you don't do it again, or I will make sure my threat becomes clear."

"Speaking of the Elders," said Sentinel as he glanced up at Maximus, "I should get going while I still can. While I'm gone, can you check up on Kup and Orion every now and then? It is not that I do not trust Kup, I'm just concerned for the wellbeing of my son and it should be a Prime's job to look out for the future."

Maximus smiled beneath his mask. "You can count on me, brother," he reassured him, his tone warm. "I just hope the Elders aren't going to be pissed at you when you arrive a little bit later than your usual time."

"Maximus," Sentinel warned, "watch your language. I don't want Orion to learn such harshness when he is older. Am I clear on that?" He stepped forward and lightly tapped Maximus on the chest just to make his warning as clear as possible.

"Yes, of course!" Maximus promised, waving a hand. "Just make sure that you come back in one piece. I'd hate to see what they might've done to you while you are gone. Now get going before I forget about my promise." He winked just to prove his point.

"Just do your job before I turn you into a rust bucket!" Sentinel hissed and he stalked out the office while Maximus glanced over his shoulder to see his brother vanish into the elevator.

"Hang on a second, Sent!" he called as he rushed over to Sentinel's desk and picked up some papers before running back to the elevator and handing them over to Sentinel. "Don't forget these, brother. You might need them in case they start questioning a few motives that you don't want to openly discuss about. I signed them for you while you were on your way over here with Orion."

Sentinel smiled knowingly at his brother. "Thanks, Max," he said. "You really are one in a million."

"I'm the only one in a million," Maximus chuckled. "Now you get going before they decide to call off the meeting. Who knows? If they do, then that means we get to go home a little early! How cool would that be?"

Sentinel shook his head in amusement and pressed a button to the elevator. "Dream on, Max," he teased as the doors closed. The doors were the only thing that blocked off the communication between the brothers. However, just before the doors completely closed, he heard Maximus chuckle again.

"_Take care, brother."_

"_I will, Max. See you and Orion when I get back from the meeting."_

"_Will do, Sent."_

Sentinel could've sworn he saw an image of Maximus doing a mock salute and he burst out laughing before he leaned back against the wall and shook his head. He sure hadn't seen his brother mock him in a long time and it felt good to see the childish side of him once again. However, he knew that side of him may very well perish as time went on, but he decided that he would do his best to ensure that side of him never died out completely.

* * *

Kup gently set Orion on his lap. He frowned as the sparkling's lips trembled in an attempt to cry. Kup glanced around to look for something so that Orion could entertain himself, but when he saw none, he knew that he was going to be in serious trouble for not doing something to make Orion feel better. The only thing he could do was gently bounce him up and down on his knees to make an attempt in making him giggle again.

Kup loved it when sparklings laughed. It often brought joy and happiness in his own Spark and he couldn't help but laugh at a few memories when he helped look after Maximus and Sentinel when they were still younglings. Those two had been troublemakers right from the start, but they eventually became the two most popular Primes on the face of Cybertron.

Orion warbled in protest, getting Kup's attention. He glanced down at the youngling and saw him staring up at him through tear-filled optics. They were beautiful golden optics that none of the parents seemed to have as their own. The only ones he knew who had golden optics were the Autobot spy and trainer Scavenger and Orion's grandfather.

"Oh," Kup cooed kindly, "don't cry, Orion. You'll be alright. Your father was just being stern with you. Don't take it too badly to Spark. Learn from your mistakes and you won't get yelled at again."

Orion blinked back his tears and rubbed his optics to clear away some of the liquid that had leaked into his optics. He looked so young and innocent and already everyone was expecting him to live up to the expectations of the Primes in legends and old stories that had been passed down from generation to generation.

"_Why don't you entertain him with one of your infamous stories, Kup?"_

_Oh slag! I'd completely forgotten about those!_ Kup mentally slapped himself for not remembering his promise to Sentinel and Maximus. He had promised to tell Orion a little story about a certain somebody, somebody he had not discussed about since the day of the accident. He felt a twinge of guilt flow through his Spark and he hardly noticed the look of concern on Orion's face plates. But when he saw the innocent and curious look on Orion's face, he chuckled and gave him a light tickle on the tummy.

Orion squealed in delight at being tickled and wriggled about in Kup's arms. Kup laughed and tickled Orion some more until the sparkling was out of breath. They both sighed in content and then Kup glanced up at the ceiling, thinking about that tragic day that left him feeling guilty and Maximus and Sentinel upset for many millennia.

_Should I?_ he wondered. Kup shook his head and sighed a little. "I might as well."

Orion blinked his unusual golden optics and tilted his head to one side in curiosity; as if he was wondering what the old mech was going to say to him. He decided to be patient and he waited for Kup to speak. He played with his fingers a little while before Kup's sigh got his attention. He glanced up at him one more time and reached up for him.

Orion had learnt his lesson from his father, but he still wanted to touch Kup. To his surprise, he saw tears pouring from his azure optics. Confused, he reached up for them and gently touched his cheeks in a reassuring manner. He warbled again; trying to ask what was wrong, but he had a feeling Kup wouldn't understand him.

"Ah, little one," said Kup when he saw what Orion was trying to do. "You remind me so much of him." He gently took his hand and gave it a light squeeze. But he was surprised to feel Orion squeeze back a little more tightly than he anticipated. "Wow, you've got quite a grip, little Orion," he laughed.

Orion giggled and squeezed a little harder, trying to show how strong he was. He felt Kup wince a little and he wisely let go of him. Kup smiled and showed him something on his right arm that had caused him to flinch. It was a large scar that was longer than him, but not as wide as his unusual bulk.

"This here, Orion," explained Kup, "is an old injury I received after your grandfather saved my life." His optics leaked more tears. "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here today. He was a good mech and loved everyone dearly. We looked up to him and honoured his bravery and understanding. His name was Solisortus Prime, but we all called him Solis, or the 'Rising-Sun', which is what his name meant in ancient Cybertronian."

Orion didn't understand what Kup was saying, but he listened intensively.

"I remember your grandfather's face like at the back of my hand, kid," Kup went on. "He had kind optics that shone with wisdom beyond his years. He looked a lot like you, but your colours take after your uncle. I'm guessing you got them from your grandmother. He was kind and gentle, just like your father and uncle, and he took his job as Prime as seriously as your own great grandfather."

Orion blinked in a way he could ask: _"What happened to him, Kup?"_

Kup almost immediately caught the look and sighed softly, more tears falling as he spoke again. But, when he did, his voice came out in a choking manner, a manner that shocked Orion to the core of his young Spark. He had never heard anyone act like this before, but he knew better than to talk except to let Kup continue.

"Well," said Kup sadly, "your grandfather did the most heroic thing I had ever seen. Apparently, the foolish young mech that I once was, I did the most stupid thing I had ever done and it is something that I deeply, deeply regret..."

**

* * *

**

Flashback: Kup's POV

_I glanced to my left and to my right as I followed behind Solisortus, along with several other mechs that were my age. I was determined to impress my leader in a chance to become an official member of his Inner Circle of Autobots that protected a Prime and took their job as seriously as any other mech. Apparently this was an expedition for young mechs such as me. _

_When we're recruited into the Autobot ranks, we were expected to go along with our Prime on a scouting mission and he would search extremely closely to see what made us who we were. It was almost similar to Autobot Boot Camp where we first learned to control our abilities as well as learn how to fight in combat against any outside threat that dared to attack our home planet, Cybertron._

_Solis glanced over his shoulder to see how we were doing and to ensure that none of us had fallen behind him. Unfortunately, one of my friends and me had and I looked over my shoulder to see who had slacked off. Sometimes it gets annoying when this happens and it drives me up the wall a lot. I don't like it when things go wrong._

"_Come along, Ironhide, Kup," Solis called encouragingly. "When this is all over, you can take the time off, I can promise you that." He smiled beneath his mask and I felt a little bit better at his kindness._

_I put as much strength as I possibly could into my legs and trudged up the hill after the group. Solis nodded in approval to my attempt, but he shook his head when he saw Ironhide falling further and further behind._

_Ironhide was a powerfully built young Autobot. This, unfortunately, made him slow and uneven in his gait. I didn't mind this too much, but there were times when I couldn't afford to accept the fact that he was different compared to the rest of us. Even Solis seemed a bit shaken up by Ironhide's unusual appearance and I was surprised myself when I realised I had formed a friendship with him. Again, I don't mind him at all, but all I can say is that he can get underneath your armour and drive you completely insane._

_To me, it almost seemed like Ironhide had heard the disappointment in Solis's voice, and he seemed to move much faster than he usually did and he finally caught up with the rest of us. I patted him on the back for giving it his best and he smiled at me to show me his thanks._

_I heard Solis chuckle in amusement and we continued onwards. I still didn't understand why we had to come on this stupid scout mission in the first place. Solis hadn't explained to us the full purpose for it and I was getting angrier and angrier by the minute, my breathing becoming shallower and louder as the time drew on. My patience was obviously wearing thin._

_Solis turned his head and tilted his head to one side, as though he was listening to something we couldn't hear. He stopped and turned around, his unusually charcoal coloured optics looked us over, and he bowed his head, a deep sigh escaping his vocal processors. _

"_You are obviously wondering why we came out here for this expedition," he said to us, his deep baritone voice soft and gentle, looking at each and every one of us. "Apparently, my good friend Whirl detected something unusual out here. Not only is this an expedition for you, it is possible that this may become your first combat mission. So, you must all be alert and ready when the time comes. Follow my lead and you will do fine. Are there any questions?"_

_The mech, Silverbolt, raised his arm._

_Solis glanced over at her. "Yes, Silverbolt?" he asked._

_Silverbolt looked a nervous as he spoke, even his voice seemed to be shaken up a bit. "Uh, sir," he said lowly, "do we have to do any flying? I... I don't do so well when it comes to it."_

_The Autobot leader shook his head. "No," he said. "There will be no need for flying. Each over you will be divided into several teams that will require you to go on foot. If it makes you uncomfortable, young one, I will not make you do anything you don't want to. _

"_Now, you, Silverbolt, will go with Longarm. Ironhide will be teamed up with Prowl. Kup, you will be with me. Now spread out and search for anything that appears to be anything unusual. If you see anything that does not belong or is a threat to you, report to me at once. There is to be no hesitations and no drawbacks. Is that understood young ones?"_

_We stood up straight and saluted Solis. "We understand perfectly clear, sir!" we answered in unison._

"_Well done," said Solis, nodding. "We might just make Autobots out of you yet. Off you go, and remember to be careful. These rock cliffs are extremely dangerous and you must be very cautious."_

_We nodded and my friends instantly split up into their required teams. They then vanished around the corner and went their separate ways, leaving me alone with Solis. _

_I was a bit nervous, but I felt a gentle hand being placed upon my shoulder. I glanced up and saw the same kindness in Solis's optics. Again, I felt better that I was with him instead of with the others. I knew that I would always be safe alongside my leader._

"_Shall we go then, Kup?" Solis asked, snapping me out of my thoughts._

_I nodded once and we headed off down the uneven slope. My feet struggled to grip the ground, but it was extremely difficult because of the loose rocks that kept on slipping whenever I took a step. Solis was already a few feet below me and was glancing over at me from the corner of his optics to check up on my progress. _

_He was taking very graceful steps and never seemed to slip once on the slope, like as if he had done this over a thousand times in his life. It was probably nothing to what he had experienced in his existence._

_He stopped when he had gotten further and frowned a little. "You must take your time, Kup," he told me. "Don't rush your steps. Take your time and watch where you put your feet. This is a very unsafe position that we are in and we must take great heed to where we are going. Come along. When we reach ground level, you'll be able to rest your aching feet."_

_I nodded gratefully and looked down at the ground, keeping an optic out for any loose rocks that Solis had pointed out. Solis had already reached the flat ground and I was still lagging behind. He was standing there waiting for me patiently as I wobbled and stumbled towards him. _

_Unfortunately, I wasn't paying as much attention as I should be and I slipped on a __**very**__ loose rock. I fell on my aft and went racing down the slope at an alarming speed. I panicked and tried to slow down using my feet, but Solis shot me a look that told me not to panic. I obeyed his silent stare and continued to slide until I finally reached the bottom._

_I eventually slowed down to a complete stop, my feet lightly touching Solis's own. I soon realised that I felt completely uncomfortable, mostly because how dust and rocks had gotten wedged underneath my armour, including places I did not wish to describe. This was the most embarrassing thing I had ever felt._

_Solis chuckled when he saw the look on my face and offered out his hand to me. I took it reluctantly and he helped me up to my feet. I brushed the dirt from my armour and used my fingers to get rid of some of the dirt that were stuck in my arm and leg joints. I felt a bit better after that, but still sore from my ordeal._

"_Do not worry, Kup," Solis said gently, "it happens to everyone, including me. We are not perfect and we all know that. However, some of us fail to realise that meaning until it is too late."_

_I pursed my lips together and licked them out of habit whenever I was nervous. I had still not forgotten my own mistakes I had made back in the past. They were mistakes that I deeply regretted about._

_**Crack!**_

_I glanced around. "What... what was that?" I questioned, my head shaking from side to side. I then turned back to look at my leader, my nervousness growing worse._

_Solis lifted his head, his audio receptors twitching. I had heard rumours that those with tall audio receptors had hearing that were much better than those that did not. It goes to show how far in evolution we had come. I also hear they are incredibly sensitive to the touch and required delicate handling when surgery is being performed on them._

"_I do not know," Solis said. He looked up to where we had come from._

_There was nothing up there except for a few boulders that seemed to be a little loose that was too close for comfort for me. Again, my nervousness began to pick up and I turned back to face my leader, my optics pleading him to know exactly what to do if they were indeed a danger to us. But, Solis didn't seem a bit bothered by the boulders. His attention was elsewhere and I looked in his direction to see what could make him act like this._

_To my utter surprise, I saw nothing._

_Puzzled, I lifted an optic ridge and glanced back at Solis. "What's wrong?" I asked him._

"_It's strange," Solis answered, but it sounded like he was talking more to himself than to me. "We came out here to do a scouting mission in the hopes that the younglings would be promoted to their new ranks, but, instead, I am told that we must check out these strange energy readings that seemed to resemble that of a Transformer. What is it that puzzles me so?"_

"_Sir?" I questioned as I walked up to him and lightly tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. He finally glanced over at me, his charcoal optics blinking in the sunlight. "What is it?"_

_Solis shook his head. "It's nothing, little one," he answered. "Come; let us continue on our way." He pointed behind me and I saw another flat path that seemed to turn a corner. Down below was another cliff and it seemed like it could go on forever. It obviously led to a canyon that was deeper than anything I had ever seen._

_I nodded and Solis once again led the way. But the moment we started walking, tiny rocks fell in front of our feet. But since Solis said there was nothing to worry about, I kept on walking, but I noticed that Solis had halted in his tracks. Confused, I looked back at him one last time to see what his problem was._

"_Sir, are you sure that there is nothing wrong?" I asked._

_But when I did look into his charcoal optics once again, I saw a glint of... fear._

_Solis glanced upwards and that look in his optics seemed to grow worse. I heard something from above me, but I didn't know what kind of object would make a sound like that. It was both confusing and not understanding. It was also new and very much in the unknown._

_Never, in my entire life, have I strayed far from the safety of Iacon. There are many things out there that can haunt a young mech's mind and turn into vicious nightmares, creatures that are like from the nightmares of sparklings or that have such a horrible appearance that we can mistake them for things that we don't understand. Apparently, my nightmares are not filled with creatures that give me horrible dreams, but things that may be out there beyond Cybertron and its twin moons._

_Unfortunately, this was one of those things that will give me nightmares for a long time._

_I looked up in the same direction that Solis was looking at and I felt my insides turn into complete mush. Rolling down towards us at top speed was the same loose pile of rocks that we had seen earlier. And they were heading straight towards me at lightning speed. It was too fast for me to get out of the way and I knew that there was no way I could avoid them._

_Suddenly, I felt a pair of arms shove me out of the way and I fell to the ground, out of the danger zone. I rolled once, twice, then thrice before I came to a complete halt several feet out of the path of the rolling rocks. I sat up and tried to see through the dust as the rocks bounced to and fro. _

_Pebbles bounced off me harmlessly, but I felt something slash across my arm and leave a huge trail of Energon that poured from a deep cut in my right arm. It hurt like slag and I knew I was going to be in pain for months on end._

_A huge cry of pain reached my audio receptors and I felt my Spark skip a beat in pure, utter horror._

_I tried to stand up, but it was no good. My arm had been damaged pretty badly from where the sharp rock had cut into, but it didn't stop me from attempting to stand up. I had to get up, I just had to!_

_I finally managed to stand up painfully and I staggered towards the huge pile of rocks. The dust had settled down to reveal the rocks that were much bigger than me and I could guess they could easily crush a Transformer if thousands piled up just like that in front of me. I doubted anyone could survive such an accident._

_Then I realised who my saviour had been... Solisortus Prime!_

_Quickly I rushed over to the pile, wincing from my injuries, and started removing the rocks as fast as possible. I don't know how long a Transformer could survive underneath because anything could have happened to them. They could be bleeding and have their oxygen tanks crushed or they could be suffocating under there so badly that no one would be able to reach them in time._

_Still thinking of the possibilities and the outcome for my Prime, I kept on removing the rocks until my hands were sore from pushing myself too hard. Unfortunately, I had completely forgotten about calling my friends, and because of my stupidity, I had a feeling that the worst was yet to come._

"_Sir!" I cried desperately. "Can you hear, me, Sir?"_

_I kept on calling until my vocal processors had become sore as well. But I didn't give up. I wasn't about to abandon my Prime just like that, it would be dishonourable and unforgiving in the Prime family, and his bondmate would have my head for doing such a horrible thing like that._

"_Solis," I called again, louder than ever. "Please answer me if you can hear me!"_

"_K... Kup," a voice hoarsely whispered quietly. It was so quiet that I wasn't sure if I had heard it or not. Under normal circumstances, my hearing would never be as good as my Prime's. "I'm... I'm down here."_

_Listening carefully and following the shallow breathing that I could barely even hear, I managed to find Solis underneath the rocks. I removed it carefully, but to my surprise, I realised that it had been that rock that had had Solis pinned underneath all that rubble. His leg had been crushed and it sparked dangerously._

"_Kup," Solis said in relief when he saw me._

_I smiled softly and gently placed a hand on his chest, but he winced in pain when I touched him. I soon came to an understanding that he was badly broken and beaten. He was covered in huge cracks and dents, and Energon was leaking from the biggest crack in his chest. From what I could make out, the injuries looked very serious, far too serious for me to even make repairs._

"_You're going to be ok, Sir," I told him reassuringly. "You just need to rest while I call for help." I reached for my com-link to call Ironhide in the hopes that he had medical skills that were better than mine. But as I touched it, a navy blue hand stopped me from touching it. I glanced down and saw Solis looking me square in the optics, his own optics pleading._

"_It's... too late for me, Kup," he said as his battle-mask split apart to reveal his mouth and he coughed up Energon that sent me into a wild frenzy of fear, but I kept myself in firm control. "I won't be able to make it. My injuries are far too serious to be repaired by hand or by tool. You understand don't you?"_

_I tried to speak, but my voice ended up choking on itself._

_Solis shook his head and he lifted his arm. He used the last amount of his strength to remove the boulder that was covering him. It rolled off the cliff and I watched as it fell into the depths below. Solis then turned his head back to look at me, his charcoal optics soft and calm. He obviously knew that he was dying and was doing all he could to prevent me from feeling upset._

"_Kup," he spoke, his voice never quivering, "do not feel so sad that you had to see death so soon. My time had never come at such a good time." He shook his head. "I'm sorry that it had to come down to this."_

_I kneeled down beside Solis, my hand reaching out to him. Solis took it and gave me a reassuring squeeze as my tears threatened to fall. I had only just joined the Autobot cause and had just started to get to know the Autobot leader. Now it seemed like that I would never be able to see him in battle. It had been my life-long dream and now that it looked like it would never come to be._

_I lowered my head and whimpered._

_I heard Solis chuckle. "Now, now, Kup," he said. "There is no need for that nonsense. I can see that you are going to be a great Autobot someday. You'll still be living for a long time."_

"_How do you know?" I questioned._

"_Because the Matrix of Leadership grants me that ability to see the future, even seeing the outcome of Cybertron's future," Solis answered. "You know just as well as I do that it is all true. You... just refuse to believe it until you see it with your own optics."_

_I turned away, but Solis gently took my chin and turned my head back to look at him, his charcoal optics seemed to glow brighter than I had ever seen. "Kup, do you remember the prophecy that the Covenant of Primus spoke about?"_

_I shook my head._

"_Apparently," explained the Autobot leader, "that it spoke about a prophecy that foretells about the coming of a saviour. Someone who will step up and take the Autobot Matrix of Leadership to lead against a threat that promises to destroy the entire Universe, including Cybertron. The saviour will have incredible powers and unbelievable strength."_

_It soon dawned upon me when I realised what he was talking about. "What are you saying, Sir?"_

"_The Elders thought that I was the promised saviour," Solis replied. He shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately, I'm not. It's true that I have powers like all Primes do, but I don't have the legendary gifts that the saviour is supposed to have. No, I'm just another Prime who is supposed to continue the Legacy of Primes until the real saviour does arrive. However, it won't be until my son Sentinel has a son of his own that really will live up to the expectations of the spoken prophecy."_

"_What do you want me to do?" I asked._

_Solis sighed heavily. His chest compartment opened up, revealing a huge blue and silver glow that threatened to blind my optics. I covered them up for a second before the glow died down and I uncovered my optics. To my surprise I saw what it was that had caused all this sudden talk._

_Nestled inside Solisortus Prime's, in front of his Spark chamber, was the Autobot Matrix of Leadership._

_I had never seen anything like it before, but I knew what it was because all new recruits were expected to know everything that goes on in the Autobot Army. _

_My grandmother made a mention about the Matrix once and I asked her what she was talking about. She then told me the story about the Great Battle between Unicron and Primus, the ones who were our gods. They were the gods who created life in the Universe that we knew as it was today. She even told me about the creation of the Matrix and of Solisortus's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather, Vector Prime – the Keeper of Space and Time and the very first Prime that ever existed._

"_I," said Solis, interrupting my thoughts as he choked again on the Energon that threatened to cough out from his mouth, "want you to fulfil my final wish. I wish for you to take the Matrix and give it to my love, Lapasi, and tell her to give it to my sons Sentinel and Maximus. They will decide who should become the next Prime, but I have a feeling that I know who will."_

_Carefully, I reached inside his chest cavity and my fingers lightly brushed against the Matrix's handles. The moment, I touched it, I felt a huge surge of power flow through me and started to overwhelm me with flashes of memories and thoughts that belonged to the deceased Primes from long ago, their whispers filled my audio receptors with wisdom for a brief moment, but then they closed up to me before I could recall what had happened between us._

_I then carefully tucked the Matrix into my own chest cavity where no one would ever be able to find it. Solis must've put a lot of trust into me in order to keep it safe until it reached its new master._

_I lowered my head, my optics not making contact with my leader. "I promise to get this safely to your sons," I promised. "I swear it upon my life."_

_Solis nodded weakly. "Thank you, Kup," he said. "You don't know how much this means to me. Look after my sons well as they grow up and teach them the Legacy of the Primes. Show them the ropes and give them advice if they ask for it. Until their time comes to join me in the All Spark, till all are one."_

_Solis sighed once more as he tilted his head to one side. He convulsed once, then twice as his optics went offline. I tried to look away, but I could not stop myself from blocking out the sounds of his dying body. It hurt to hear, but I knew that I must bear with it for as long as possible._

_When the sounds finally died down and I was alone with Solisortus Prime's body, I turned to look back at him, only to see that he had a smile upon his face and I knew that he had died a happy mech. He'd obviously seen something that made him want to jump for joy. Perhaps it had been his creators or those that had died in the heat of battle. Were they friends as well? I would never know the answer, not until I too passed on into the All Spark. Solis's entire frame had changed from its natural colour to a dull grey colour that showed that he was permanently offline with no hope of return._

_Then I heard voices from behind and I looked up towards the ridge above me. Sliding down the slope was none other than Ironhide and Prowl and I could see that they had been worried about us. _

"_Kup," Ironhide cried as he landed beside the pile of rocks, his face filled with worry, "what happened?" He glanced over towards Solisortus Prime's body and then back at me, his azure optics pleading for an explanation._

_I sighed and told them what I had witnessed._

**

* * *

**

**End Flashback: End POV**

"We eventually called for the Autobot base to come to our location after we told them the same story I had told my friends," finished Kup. "They were saddened by the loss of Solisortus Prime, but they knew that I had a promise to keep. I went to your grandmother's place and told her everything I could recall. She too wept for a long time, heavily grieving for the loss of her beloved bondmate.

"After I provided her as much comfort as I could give her, she then called Sentinel and Maximus down and she told them that their father would not be coming home. They too cried, but Sentinel was the quickest to recover. He then asked if I still had the Matrix of Leadership.

"I told him that I did and took it out of my chest. I handed it over to him and he just stared at it longingly, as if he sensed the presence of his father nearby. He offered one handle to Maximus and Maximus took it. Then they started glowing with unbelievable amounts of energy! The Matrix altered their physical form until they were just as tall as me and your grandmother."

Orion had listened long and hard during the long tale. He had never heard anything like it before! Even though he didn't understand the words, he understood the tone of voice and he knew that Kup was sad and guilty about the loss of the Prime he had just started getting to know. Now he was old and had to get to know two new Primes at one time. It must be difficult and unbearable.

"From what we could gather," said Kup, "the Matrix had split in half in order to share its powers between the brothers so that they may not become jealous of each other in the future. I swear, those two bicker quite a lot but still love each other no matter what."

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

Kup and Orion glanced up and Orion felt a familiar presence swell within him. He didn't know what that feeling was, but he knew that it indicated that someone of his family was coming in to see him. It was either his father or his uncle Maximus.

"It's open," Kup called.

The door opened and Sentinel Prime stepped in. He looked a little tired and exhausted from what Kup could make of it, but he knew that it was not from long work. He'd just started work and he knew that this was the time where he would be off to see the Elders and give them a report about what was going on in the Autobot Army.

"And how can I help you, Sentinel?" Kup asked.

Sentinel shook his head and he glanced over at his son, who stared back at him with his golden optics. He then turned back to Kup and sighed softly. "I just thought," he said, "I could come and quickly check up on you before I head off to see the Elders."

Kup chuckled and he stood up before walking over to the yellow Prime and lightly patting him on the shoulder. "You don't have to worry, Sentinel," he said gently, "I've got this covered. I was just telling Orion about your father and the way he saved my life before passing away and giving the Matrix to me in order for me to give to you and your brother."

Sentinel smiled slightly. "That's good of you, Kup," he said. "At least someone likes your stories." He looked down at his son and lightly tickled him underneath the chin. Orion giggled and grabbed his father's hand, giving it a light squeeze to show his newfound strength. "Amazing!" Sentinel exclaimed. "He sure is strong for his age."

"That's only a very light squeeze he's giving you," Kup laughed. "He gave me a taste of half of his strength and hand is still sore from where he gripped it."

Sentinel frowned as he remembered the prophecy from the Covenant of Primus. "The prophecy did say that the saviour would be incredibly strong," he groaned.

Kup shook his head. "Don't think about the future, Sentinel," he told him. "Think about here and now. We may not be able to stop the coming of the prophecy, but we must learn to accept the fact that your son will one day live up to the expectations that your father was not able to fulfil. He had powers too, but he knew that he wasn't the one and accepted his death without a hesitation."

"I know Kup," Sentinel replied. "I just don't think I'm ready to see my son become Prime right away when the time comes. He might be so young and so... alone. What if he too doesn't meet the requirements and Primus decides to throw his life away as well like he did with the Primes before us? What if–"

"Sentinel, shut up!" Kup hissed as he lightly slapped Sentinel on the cheek, causing his old friend to flinch from the pain. "I told you to not think about the future! Think about here and now! Don't make me send you off to Ratchet to get a maintenance check up."

"Sorry," Sentinel apologised. "I wasn't thinking straight. Maybe I should go now and get this thing over and done with before I become overrun with these thoughts all over again."

"You go do that, you silly young mech," Kup growled. "You were giving me a processor ache and I'm sure Orion was getting one too. Now get going before I decide to kick you there myself." He shook his head in annoyance.

"I might as well," said Sentinel as he smiled beneath his mask. "You take care, old timer, and look after Orion well. Not only is he the future, but he is also my son." He then shot a protective look and Kup knew that he meant business.

"Yeah, yeah," Kup groaned and thrust his hand towards the door. "Get going or I will do what I just said."

Sentinel laughed and left the room, closing the door behind him. Kup and Orion watched him go and then Kup glanced down at Orion. "I hope you're not too angry with your father, kid," he said to him. "He may be your father, but he is also a big pain in the aft."

Orion giggled and flailed his arms and legs in excitement. Kup sure was a funny mech when he didn't even realise it.

Kup shook his head. "I think it's time for your bottle, Orion," he said. "Don't you think?"

Orion clapped his hands happily, once again making Kup laugh in amusement. The old mech then went back to his desk and sat down before pulling out the bottle that Sentinel had given him in order to give to Orion whenever he was hungry. He put the teat in Orion's mouth and the sparkling happily suckled on it.

"Oh to be young again," Kup groaned as he watched Orion enjoy his feed.

* * *

**Spiritimus Prime: Sorry I took so long to updateery bus with my Christmas. Now I'm just happily having a wonderful holday in Lincolns good to be home again and I've never felt so replaxed in my entire life. I just feel that a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Anyway, I'm thinking about doing some Christmas oneshots. Who knows? Maybe not. But I'm incredibly busy these days. Oh well. Mybe someday I will. Till the next update! Stay tuned!**


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